Bonita Springs voters to decide on $35M rail-trail bonds 

Bonita Springs residents are set to vote on a plan to borrow up to $35 million to pay for the city’s portion of a regional rail-to-trail project. 

The referendum is planned for Aug. 18 alongside the Lee County primary election. A majority vote would allow officials to issue general obligation bonds to fund a $28.6 million acquisition of 5.8 miles of inactive Seminole Gulf Railway corridor. 

The remaining funds would cover initial development of the Bonita Estero Rail Trail, a multiuse pathway and linear park that officials and advocates have been planning for years. 

The $35 million principal would be repaid over 30 years through ad valorem taxes. 

Under current tax rates, a $30 million to $45 million bond with 20- to 30-year terms would add $49 to $88 annually for a Bonita Springs resident with an average home value of $441,137, said PFM Financial Advisors Director Julie Santamaria at a March 25 Council meeting. 

City staff said a $35 million bond would equate to about $4.75 per month per resident over a 30-year term. 

Bonita Springs City Council voted 6-0 to approve the bond referendum at a second public hearing April 15. Council member Laura Carr was absent and previously excused from the meeting. 

Two public speakers argued against the city’s overall plans for the corridor, questioning the project’s cost, who would benefit and whether it is the best use of the land. 

One speaker suggested the corridor should be reserved for a light rail transit system. Another suggested Mayor Mike Gibson has a conflict of interest because his business could benefit from the trail. Gibson runs the family business, Engle’s Bicycles, on Old 41 Road. 

City staff said Gibson’s potential gain is “too remote and speculative” to be considered a conflict of interest. 

“I do not have a voting conflict with this,” Gibson said. “We’re simply voting to give all our residents the chance to vote for this.” 

Bonita Springs, Estero and Collier County all share in the larger 11.4-mile BERT project. Supporters have long argued for its economic, safety and health benefits. 

“We believe this is going to be transformative for Southwest Florida,” said Deb Orton, a Bonita Springs resident and president of the nonprofit advocacy group Friends of BERT. 

The three governments took a major step forward in February when the nonprofit Trust for Public Land reached an initial $60 million agreement on their behalf with Seminole Gulf Railway to purchase the corridor. 

The governments are now moving forward with due diligence on the acquisition, including appraisals, surveys and environmental assessments. While the sale is expected to close as soon as October, any or all governments could still pull out during that time. 

“A lot of pieces have to fall into place” to complete the sale and begin building the trail, Orton said. “We’re confident now that they will.” 

The governments also are making their own plans to pay for their share of the corridor. Under the agreement, Bonita Springs has the longest and most expensive portion of the acquisition. Estero is set to pay $19.8 million for its 4.1-mile portion, and Collier County $11.6 million for 1.5 miles. 

The trail would connect to the larger, partially complete Florida Gulf Coast Trail, which runs from the Tampa-St. Petersburg area to Naples, where it links to the Paradise Coast Trail. 

Official ballot language  

Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT) General Obligation Bonds  

To acquire land and build the proposed Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT), a linear park and recreational rail-to-trail project, shall Bonita Springs issue general obligation bonds not exceeding $35 million principal amount, maturing within 30 years of issuance, with interest not exceeding the maximum legal rate, and payable from ad valorem property taxes levied in amounts sufficient to pay debt service on such bonds? 

Instructions to voters:     

YES – FOR BONDS 

NO – AGAINST BONDS