Voters in the coastal Florida city of Bonita Springs have approved a $35 million general obligation bond, clearing the way for the local government to buy a key 5.8-mile stretch of unused railway. The ballot decision unlocks the missing central section of the wider 11.4-mile Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT). The project will also help close an important gap in the planned Florida Gulf Coast Trail, a 400-mile network that is intended to run across Southwest Florida. The referendum was held during the 18 August primary election. It allows the city council to issue up to $35 million in general obligation bonds with a 30-year repayment period. According to public election filings, $28.6 million will be used to buy the 5.8-mile inactive railway corridor from the Fay family, owners of the Seminole Gulf Railway. The rest will pay for engineering, design and the first stage of construction from downtown Bonita Springs.
Completing the regional puzzle
The vote removes the final financial hurdle to buying the full 11.4-mile railway corridor, which covers about 180 acres across Southwest Florida. Neighbouring authorities had already committed money to secure their parts of the line. The Village of Estero to the north pledged $19.8 million to buy nearly four miles of track, while Collier County to the south committed $11.6 million for its 1.5-mile section. The combined purchase price agreed by the three jurisdictions is $60 million, about 20 per cent below the property’s total appraised value. Because Bonita Springs lies between Estero and Collier County, its approval was seen by conservation groups as the key step needed to secure the entire corridor. “With the positive vote from Bonita Spring residents, we have the final piece in place for the purchase of the rail corridor for BERT,” said Deb Orton, President of Friends of BERT, in a statement released through the Trust for Public Land. “Our next step is to complete the due diligence efforts that move us closer to the finalization of the purchase in October. The voters have given the Bonita Springs City Council a clear mandate they sought when they voted to place the referendum on the August 18th ballot for consideration.”
Cost and local debate
The $35 million bond will be repaid through local property taxes over 30 years. Financial estimates from PFM Financial Advisors show that the measure will add between $49 and $88 a year to the property tax bill for an average home valued at $441,137. Supporters, including the Naples Pathway Coalition, said this works out to about $4.75 a month per household. The project received strong support from local businesses and conservation groups, but there was also opposition before the vote. Some homeowners living next to the unused tracks raised concerns about privacy and security because of increased public access. Others questioned the cost of the project or suggested keeping the corridor available for possible light rail in the future. City leaders, however, argued that turning the abandoned railway into a paved path for walkers and cyclists would provide greater public benefits. They pointed to improved pedestrian safety, better regional connections and potential benefits for local businesses.
A wider conservation project
The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national non-profit focused on land conservation and public parks, has played a major role in the project. TPL worked with city officials, the Naples Pathway Coalition and Friends of BERT volunteers on the corridor’s valuation and public campaign. “Today, Bonita Springs voters made a bold endorsement to invest in a better future for their community,” said Doug Hattaway, Southeast Region Conservation Director at Trust for Public Land. “Voters have resoundingly authorized its City Council to fund the corridor’s purchase along with significant construction funding of the 5.8-mile Bonita Springs portion of the longer 11.4-mile rails-to-trails project involving also the Village of Estero to the north and Collier County to the south.” The completed 11.4-mile trail will give runners, walkers and cyclists a new regional route while also connecting with the planned 75-mile Paradise Coast Trail, which is expected to stretch from Marco Island to South Lee County. The Paradise Coast Trail will then connect with the larger Florida Gulf Coast Trail, a planned 400-mile route linking communities from Naples towards the Tampa Bay area. With voters now approving the bond, city officials and project partners are conducting environmental checks and completing property assessments before the purchase is formally closed. The transaction is expected to be completed in October. Design work for the first paved sections in central Bonita Springs is expected to begin soon after the purchase is finalised.
