Bonita Springs has become the final government to approve its share of the $60 million purchase of Seminole Gulf Railway right-of-way for an 11.4-mile bike trail that would extend from Estero into Collier County.
The Bonita Springs City Council voted 6-1 at its Wednesday meeting in favor of using bonds to pay for its $28.6 million share of the project if residents approve the bond issue in the August primary. The Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) would extend 5.8 miles through Bonita.
Estero already approved its $19.8 million share and Collier County approved its $11.6 million amount.
The sale is expected to close by the end of October, once the due diligence is completed. The cost is only for the land and doesn’t include the construction of the trail.
Councilwoman Laura Carr was the only council member questioning the purchase.
She wanted to know why the governments were being pressured by Seminole to decide now. She wanted to put the bond issue on the November general election ballot instead of the August primary ballot. She said only about 20 percent of voters participate in the primary compared to 80 percent or more in the general election.
“I believe that the vote should be in the general election when we’re going to have everyone here, because folks are going to come down and go, ‘how did we commit ourselves to this?’ ’’
Carr asked artificial intelligence about the Rails and Trails and it said it would increase home values, property values and business activity, but it only would be fiscally responsible if the land is donated, she said.
She also questioned how much it would cost to build the trail, especially an overpass over Bonita Beach Road.
“It’s going to be incredibly expensive,” she said.
Saying council was being rushed is silly. The work to buy the corridor has been going on for years, Councilman Jesse Purdon said.
“The stars have finally aligned, and it may actually happen,” he said. “And now we’re going to give it to the people of Bonita and let them see if that’s the direction they want to go.”
The bond could cost taxpayers between $49 and $88 a year, depending on the size of the bond structure, said Julie Santom, of PFM Financial Advisors.
Purdon challenged the Friends of BERT and the Trust for Public Lands, who have lobbied for the trail, to get the bond issue passed.
Councilman Chris Corrie, who has worked on the project for three years, said the city can back out of the deal based upon appraisals, the survey, the title and environmental studies.
“It’s sort of like buying a house with contingencies,” he said. “If the contingencies aren’t resolved then we have an opportunity to decide what we’re going to do.”
Councilman Nigel Fullick called the trail more than generational.
“I’m starting to look at this and realize that possibly this is the thing that will be the one major project that’s even larger than what we did downtown, as far as changing the quality of life in our community. … I know we’re all worried about what’s going to happen here in the years to come, but this trail will mean more to the city than I think everybody in this room even realizes.”
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