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Estero council authorizes due diligence on proposed purchase of Burt rail corridor
Summary
The council authorized up to $250,000 for due diligence including title work, survey, appraisal and initial environmental assessments on the village's portion of the Burt rail corridor, a step toward converting the line to a bike-ped corridor and open space; staff said the village's share of the purchase would be under $20 million.
The Village of Estero council on March 4 authorized up to $250,000 to complete due diligence on a proposed purchase-and-sale agreement for the village's segment of the Burt rail corridor.
Steve (staff) told council the acquisition follows years of negotiation and community interest; earlier memoranda of understanding with Bonita Springs and Collier County supported pursuing a purchase price acceptable to all parties. Staff said most of the project's background material will be posted online and that due diligence would include title work, survey, appraisal and initial environmental assessment. The village's portion of the purchase was described as "just under $20 million." The due-diligence authorization directs staff to return to council in early fall with findings.
Council members praised staff and the village attorney for their work preparing the item. Public commenters representing trail advocacy groups and the Trust for Public Land urged moving forward, describing expected benefits including safety, transportation options, conservation and flood mitigation. Council discussion included questions about removal of rail fastenings and equipment (a county-ordered salvage/removal timeline was cited) and whether the required two-year removal window could be shortened for phased improvements. Staff said engineering and design work will take time and can be phased to align with rail removal.
The motion to authorize due diligence passed on a recorded roll-call vote. Council directed staff and the village attorney to proceed within the authorized budget and return the full due-diligence report to the council for a decision about a purchase closing.
