<roll>Bonita Springs Community Profile</roll>
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At A Glance
Population
• 32,797
Tax Rate
• $19.20 per $1,000 taxable property
Public Schools
• 2 Elementary
• 1 Middle

Sandwiched between Fort Myers and Naples, Bonita Springs is Southwest Florida's newest city. While residents voted to incorporate in 2000, Bonita Springs' history goes back to 1888 when Alabama cotton farmer B.B. Coomer moved there and purchased 6,000 acres to start a plantation of pineapples, coconut and bananas.

Coomer threw down his first seeds in the late 1800s only to see his entire crop wiped out by a freeze in 1893. The development of Bonita Springs was very slow — until the past 20 years.

It wasn't until the 1970s that Bonita Springs started to grow into its own community. Spanish Wells was the area's first gated community and within 20 years, many upscale gated communities followed, including Bonita Bay, Pelican Landing, Worthington and Hunter's Ridge.

In the last 10 years, Bonita Springs' population more than doubled from 13,600 to 32,797, according to the 2000 Census.

It's still growing.

As one of Southwest Florida's fastest growing and most diverse communities — with poor migrant workers, middle-income families and retirees mixing with the super rich — it is a community like no other in Southwest Florida.

Single-family homes range from less than $100,000 to more than $9 million and rent for a one-bedroom apartment can cost $700 and up.

Bonita Springs, which encompasses 34 square miles, lies directly between Naples and Fort Myers. Running right through the middle of the city is the Imperial River, which makes this an ideal spot for boaters, fishermen and those that love the outdoors.

Contact city officials through the city's Web site:
www.cityofbonitasprings.org

The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce site is:
www.BonitaSpringsChamber.com ________________________________________
Recreation

Bonita Springs has plenty to delight the eco-tourist, history buff, sports enthusiast, and just plain fun-seeker.

In Bonita Springs, there are three parks, a community center and a community pool on Pine Avenue. People can picnic, play tennis, Frisbee golf, basketball and baseball. There are more than two miles of shells and sand along Bonita Beach. More of the same awaits at Lovers Key/Carl E. Johnson State Recreation Area, where there is a boat ramp and canoe and kayak rentals.

Another public boat ramp is at the Imperial River just off U.S. 41.

Folks can relax on The Imperial Boat River Tours, visit the tropical plants and animals at Everglades Wonder Gardens or feel competitive excitement at The Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track.

Those with a more cultural bent can visit the Art League of Bonita Springs, where there are classes and exhibits and the Bonita Springs Historical Society is restoring a Historical House.

In nearby Estero, there is the Art League and for history buffs, the Koreshan State Historic Site sits on the banks of the Estero River.

The Koreshans were 250 pioneering settlers who followed New York surgeon Cyrus Teed to this spot in 1894 and carved a new, utopian society out of the Southwest Florida wilderness. They took their name from the Hebrew word Koresh, which means "the anointed one."

They thrived until Teed's death in 1908, after which the group began breaking up. The site also offers camping, picnicking, a boat ramp, canoeing and a nature trail.

Farther north in San Carlos, there is a Three Oaks Park Community Park on Three Oaks Parkway and the Karl Drews Community Center on Lee Road, both run by Lee County Parks and Recreation. The park system Web site is lola.co.lee.fl.us.

Many social, fraternal and civic clubs can be found in the area, as well as specialty clubs like the Lord's Quilters and the Bonita Woodcarvers that welcome new members. ________________________________________
Schools

Students are assigned to a school in Lee County through School Choice, a program that allows parents to apply to schools in three geographic zones and district-wide magnet schools. Bonita Springs is in the south zone.

Bonita Springs is home to two of the Lee County School District’s elementary schools and one middle school.

Helpful information for the schools:

Lee County School District
www.lee.k12.fl.us

Bonita Springs Elementary School
www.lee.k12.fl.us
David Short, principal
10701 Dean Street SE
(239) 992-0801
Zone: South
Enrollment: 392
School performance grade for 2002-2003: A

Spring Creek Elementary School
www.lee.k12.fl.us
Karen Leonardi, principal
25571 S. Tamiami Trail
(239) 947-0001
Zone: South
Enrollment: 935
School performance grade for 2002-2003: B

Bonita Springs Middle School
www.lee.k12.fl.us
John Basel III, principal
10141 W. Terry Street
(239) 992-4422
Zone: South
Enrollment: 392
School performance grade for 2002-2003: B ________________________________________
Entertainment

The $25-million TECO Arena in Estero is home to the Everblades, a minor-league ice hockey team. The arena is also home to the United States Basketball League's Florida Sea Dragons team and the Florida Firecats arenafootball2 team.

The arena is also a venue for numerous concerts that draw big-name talents like Elton John and Sting, plus shows for every taste, like Monster Truck competitions. It also offers open ice skating and lessons on the ice rink.

In Bonita Springs, The Prado at Spring Creek is a 147,000-square-foot theater, retail and restaurant complex, featuring the Bonita 12 Regal Cinemas. Eateries range from an ice cream shop to an Italian restaurant to a steakhouse.

There are numerous restaurants to suit every palate from the comfort food of Mel's Diner in San Carlos Park and Bonita Springs to the Pacific Island influence of Roy's Restaurant in the Promenade shops at Bonita Bay. Restaurants are opening like microwave popcorn kernels in this rapidly-growing area. Many restaurants and bars offer live music and entertainment on weekends and even during the week, during season.
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Health Care

The Bonita Community Health Center — a walk-in clinic with private physicians and an outpatient surgery center —opened in December.
The $20 million center is a 50-50 partnership between Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers and NCH Healthcare System in Naples.

The Bonita Springs center has more than 30 private doctors in a variety of specialties including family practice, podiatry and plastic surgery. Officials plan to build a 20,000 square-foot cardiac center on the 80,000-square-foot building. The center's endoscopy and pain management center is scheduled to open in June.

Walk-in clinic hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 949-1050 for more information.
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Shopping

The triad area of Bonita Springs, Estero and San Carlos Park is rapidly becoming a shopping mecca. In Bonita Springs, the Promenade at Bonita Bay offers 16 shops, galleries and restaurants on 10 acres in Bonita Bay Commons, off U.S. 41.

The Flamingo Island Flea Market, with hundreds of booths and tables, offers a change of pace on Bonita Beach Road and is open year-round.

Estero offers the 1.2-million square foot Miromar Outlets Mall, with stores like Reebox, an Off 5th Avenue Outlet of Saks, DKNY, Brooks Brothers, Dress Barn and more.

There are numerous plazas and strip malls up and down U.S. 41 from Alico Road in San Carlos Park to Bonita Beach Road and east and west along Bonita Beach Road.

Large anchor stores in Bonita Springs include Target, Office Max and Kmart.

Among the major supermarkets, Bonita features two Publix supermarkets, one Kash 'n' Karry, and one Albertson's.

Estero features a Publix supermarket and a Kash 'n' Karry. San Carlos has a Winn-Dixie.
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Libraries

The Bonita Springs Public Library celebrated its 52nd anniversary in 2001.

The library was started in 1949 by Mabel Hauser, who bought reading material at a book sale in Fort Myers and opened the Women's Club of Bonita Springs Lending Library.

The official library was established a decade later, in 1959, in a building on Childers Street and Felts Avenue. In 1969, it became a part of the Lee County Public Library System.

The Bonita Springs branch has 12,000 square feet and more than 68,000 books, compact discs, videos and other items.

The library has 11 Internet stations and six volunteer computer coaches to help those who are not technologically savvy.

The library, at 26876 Pine Ave., is open Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 992-0101.

Lee County Library System: www.lee-county.com

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Taxes

The total tax rate for Bonita Springs, including city, school and a variety of service taxes, is about $19.20 for each $1,000 of property.

That means the owner of a $125,000 house, after deducting the $25,000 homestead exemption, paid about $1,920 in property taxes in 2000. Lee County Tax Collector: www.leetc.com

Bonita Springs taxes: www.cityofbonitasprings.org/ ________________________________________
Traffic

Bonita's traffic has increased with its population, leaving some roads overburdened.

The Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41 intersection is one place where drivers can count on a wait.

"What we have are hot spots that have traffic tied up," said Steve Jansen, a traffic engineer with the Lee County Department of Transportation. "U.S. 41 and Bonita Beach Road — I'd consider that a hot spot."

Traffic on U.S. 41 just north of West Terry Street increased 37 percent between 1991 and 2000.

Accidents on Interstate 75 and U.S. 41 can cause gridlock in Bonita Springs because of the lack of north-south traffic corridors, said Dave Loveland, the county transportation planning director.

Imperial Street is being widened to handle more north-south traffic.

Lee County also plans to extend Three Oaks Parkway to the south. Both projects are scheduled to be completed in 2005.

There are more plans to ease some of Bonita's traffic problems.

U.S. 41 will be widened to six lanes from the Lee-Collier county line to the Imperial River in 2003, Loveland said. In 2005 the road will be widened to Corkscrew Road.

Lee Department of Transportation plans to widen Bonita Beach Road to six lanes between Imperial Street and Interstate 75 in 2002.
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Crime

During Bonita Springs' first year as a city, crimes dropped more than 30 percent.

The Rosemary Park area fared the best in the county, statistics for 2000 from the Lee County Sheriff's Office show.

Crime in Rosemary Park dropped 43 percent from 1999 to 2000.

Overall, Bonita Springs crimes dropped 31.4 percent.

The largest drop was in the number of homicides. Five people were killed in 1999 compared to one in 2000. All violent crimes, except for aggravated assaults, decreased. The number of aggravated assaults jumped 12 percent to from 58 to 65.

Lee County Sheriff's Office: www.sheriffleefl.org

Florida Department of Law Enforcement: www.fdle.state.fl.us

Florida Highway Patrol: www.fhp.state.fl.us ________________________________________
Utilities

Bonita Springs Utilities started providing water service in 1971 and sewer service in 1991. It provides 25,000 customers with water and 18,000 with waste-water services.

New homeowners with a statement showing good standing with a previous utilities provider can waive a $100 deposit required for water and sewer services.

BSU charges a base rate of $5.10 per month for water, plus an additional $2.40 billing fee. BSU also charges $2.35 per thousand gallons of water used.

For sewer service, BSU charges a monthly base rate of $16.35, plus $2 per thousand gallons of water used.

For more information, call BSU at 992-0711, or check their Web site at www.bonitaspringsutilities.com.

Florida Power and Light provides electricity to Bonita Springs. Its base rate for customers in Bonita Springs is $91.52 per 1,000 kilowatt hours per month.

Deposits are determined by a credit check, residence size and previous owner's rates, if applicable. For more information, call 334-7754.

The Florida Power and Light Web site is at www.fpl.com.


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Coming soon
• An Albertson's supermarket is nearly complete in Estero.
• A $6-million-plus expansion adding 25,000 square feet to The Promenade at Bonita Bay is complete, but the nine new tenants and one restaurant won't open until fall 2001. Starbucks Coffee is the only tenant that has been named.
• There are plans are for a new regional mall to open at one of two sites, by one of two developers: either Coconut Road and U.S. 41; or Alico Road at Interstate 75.