End of partnership rekindles hopes of protecting Warm Mineral Springs from development

NORTH PORT – Since the decision to terminate a public-private partnership to develop the park surrounding Warm Mineral Springs, residents seeking to preserve the entire 83-acre site have stepped up their efforts, including a rally near City Hall.

Shannon Larsen, co-founder of Ancient Trees, called for a pause in the development push and even a meeting on site at Warm Mineral Spring to discuss how to preserve the land.

Larsen and the residents were joined by an unexpected ally, Sarasota County Commissioner Neil Rainford, who, in a guest column that appeared in Venice and North Port newspapers, called for city, county, state and federal government officials to hold a workshop to permanently protect the springs from development and preserve Warm Mineral Springs as an ecotourism destination.

The development opponents scheduled a rally to raise awareness of their stance from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Feb. 23 at the intersection of Price and Sumter boulevards, just south of City Hall.

What is Warm Mineral Springs?

An hourglass-shaped sinkhole once thought to be the Fountain of Youth when it was discovered by explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, Warm Mineral Springs is primarily fed by an underground stream that pumps in 20 million gallons of 86-degree water per day.

The springs – an underwater burial site for prehistoric indigenous people – as well as the surrounding 21.6 areas and three structures built for the Florida Quadricentennial are already on the National Register of Historic Places.

Until recently the city of North Port had counted on a public-private partnership with Warm Mineral Spring Development Group, Inc. to develop a variety of amenities on the 61.4-acres of surrounding parkland to pay for significant improvements on the 21.6-acre springs site. The planned improvements included restoration of the three structures, which are believed to have been designed by Jack West of the Sarasota School of Architecture.

A sales and spa building – once connected by a covered walkway – echo the shape of the 205-foot deep springs.

The accompanying cyclorama, a circular exhibition hall with interior murals that tell a version of the story of Ponce de Leon’s quest for the Fountain of Youth, is believed to be one of only three left in the United States and 30 in the world.

Why did the public-private partnership end?

The city and WMS Development Group were in the midst of due diligence for their deal when the developer submitted a revised proposal that eliminated its plan to operate the springs. In response, the city opted to end the partnership.

As part of that phase the developer discovered that the combination of the cost of liability insurance to operate the springs and employment expenses made it difficult to operate the springs at a profit.

North Port had been self-insuring operations at Warm Mineral Springs with respect to liability, leaving WMS Development no track record for the potential cost when it formulated its original proposal.

The city encountered a similar form of sticker shock after seeking bids to complete Phase One of a 2019 plan to improve the park that then prompted the search for a private partner.

The first phase of that plan, crafted by consultant Kimley-Horn & Associates and Sweet Sparkman architects in 2019, called for restoration of the three buildings, extension of water and sewer utilities and delineation of a new parking lot.

The city earmarked as much as $9.4 million for that phase, with an eye toward finishing the overall plan in phases. After bids for that first phase came in at almost double the estimate, the city opted to go the public-private partnership route.

In that now defunct agreement, the city still pledged the $9.4 million, while WMS Development group pledged to spend roughly $10 million to ensure that Phase One was complete.

What’s next for Warm Mineral Springs?

City commissioners  are scheduled to discuss potential next steps when they meet March 5.

Results of a geotechnical survey that would help determine the level of development the acreage could support are not expected until May.

The 61.4 acres were valued at $16.4 million.

The completed threatened and endangered species survey identified 88 occupied gopher tortoise burrows and 21 that appeared to be abandoned.

Of note, 57 of those burrows were on land with dense tree canopy cover, which is atypical for the tortoises.

It also identified two protected plant species – Leafless Beaked Ladies’ Tresses and the Giant Airplant.

Larsen, who, in an email sent to the city, proposed a gathering at Warm Mineral Springs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 9 for people to talk about preserving the springs, told the Herald-Tribune that when she walked the property with Vincent Jimmie, a member of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples, “He saw so many tracks, so many things going on there that I missed, that I didn’t see, but he’s Indigenous and he can see them.”

Rainford, in his guest column, called for “all citizens to rally behind saving the Warm Mineral Springs once and for all,” but did not raise the topic at the County Commission's Feb. 21 meeting.

Rainford said later that because several people who emailed all five commissioners attached a copy of his column to their email, he assumed his fellow board members knew his stance.

Rainford said he has spoken with State Rep. James Buchanan on the issue but the responsibility lies with the City Commission to decide its next steps.

“If we do this right, the county has to play a big part no matter what,” Rainford said, citing everything from interconnectivity with the Legacy Trail to addressing the fact that both the springs and the surrounding community is still on well and septic.

“It’s a natural wonder from my perspective so it’s worth protecting,” Rainford said.

Larsen noted that her preference would be to preserve the land.

“This place needs to be protected and preserved but it does not mean that it can’t be spruced up a little bit and acknowledgement of all of the animals that are on there,” Larsen said, adding that the late Bobby C. Billie, a clan leader and spiritual leader for the Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples prior to his death in 2018 “did not want to see that developed.

“It’s sacred land and sacred waters,” Larsen said. “When we do the right thing, that land will come alive again; it will be a wonder to everyone.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Discussion of Warm Mineral Springs' future moves to the forefront