Morton’s Warm Springs up for sale again

Families have gone to relax and rejuvenate in the mineral waters at Morton’s Warm Springs Resort for more than a century.

It’s been a popular destination for school trips, family picnics and people seeking a place to lounge around on lazy summer days. Now the 19-acre property is back on the market and residents are worried about the future of the site, once a camping ground for the Wappo Indians.

Angie Carrillo first came out to the resort on a field trip when she was a student at Napa’s Shearer Elementary School. This week, Carrillo, who now is 40 and lives in Vacaville, brought her 13-year-old daughter, sister and nieces and nephews to the pools, which hover between the mid- to high-80 degrees.

“I could have gone to a public pool in Vacaville,” said Carrillo, who often visits Morton’s.

But, she said, it’s all about the location of the resort, tucked in the thick-forested hills between Glen Ellen and Kenwood on Warm Springs Road. “It’s a beautiful view,” she said.

Added Carrillo, “It would be a disappointment to see it shut down.”

Sonoma resident Gilda Stapleton agreed.

“Where are we going to go? We need a pool in Sonoma (Valley),” said Stapleton, who stopped by the resort earlier this week for a swim with her granddaughters.

There could be hope, though.

At least two dozen showings have been done since owner Stephen Compagni Portis listed the property a month ago for $2.5 million. A half-dozen potential buyers from all over the Bay Area and state have showed serious interest in the 19-acre property, currently zoned for recreation, real estate agent Daniel Casabonne said.

While some would like to develop residential units on the site, others would like to keep it a recreation area but upgrade the facility, including adding zip lines and soccer fields, Portis said.

There also have been talks among several local organizations and agencies about finding a way to preserve the resort for community use and protect its stream and the natural resources that surround it, said Richard Dale, executive director of the Sonoma Ecology Center. However, he said they’re only preliminary discussions.

“We’re very interested in seeing the community come together to protect the resource,” Dale said in a phone interview.

In addition to being one of the few places where Sonoma Valley residents can go for a swim, he said the creek that runs along the site also is an important habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. Endangered California freshwater shrimp also have been spotted in the area.

“This is a significant part of Sonoma Creek,” he said. “We’d like to see it protected.”

Finding the money to obtain the property may be a challenge for organizations.

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District should have match grant money available next year, general manager Bill Keene said. He said it’s the kind of project that could be eligible for grant money.

“It certainly would be nice to see it remain this public asset,” Keene said.

The resort boasts three different geothermal mineral spring pools, 33 barbecue pits, picnic benches, a horseshoe pit, baseball field and a volleyball court. It also has a creek that runs along the west end of the property.

“It’s one of the most beautiful pieces of property that I have seen in the Sonoma Valley,” Portis said. “And it has a rich history.”

The Wappo Indians found the mineral springs healing and sacred. When settlers arrived, they were drawn to the waters, too.

A bathhouse was created in the late 1800s. By 1909, it had evolved to a full-fledged retreat, the Los Guilicos Warm Springs Resort, with its bathing pool, bathhouse and cottages.

Ethel and Harold Morton bought the property in 1938, giving the resort their name. Although the property has changed hands over the years, the Mortons’ name stuck.

Two years ago, Portis purchased the site from Santa Barbara developer Bernard MacElhenny for $1.5 million. Portis wanted to build a spiritual retreat center, using the building at the front as a welcome center and building teepees and treehouses in the back.

However, Portis, who founded a clean energy financing firm, said he got busy juggling other projects, including restoring the Jenner by the Sea inn and restaurant, located on Highway 1 near the mouth of the Russian River. While Morton’s is profitable, it didn’t justify his investment, he said.

“To let go of this property was very difficult,” he said, while walking along the creek. “(It’s) sweetness and spiritual element was what drew me in.”

A gym, community center and hotels were proposed on the site prior to Portis purchasing it, according to county records. Efforts also were made to add overnight camping and beer and wine sales and to open the swimming pools year-round. However, county officials contended the impact could have been significant and likely require an expensive environmental impact review.

The plans didn’t get far. All the proposals ultimately were withdrawn by the applicant, said Dean Parsons, Sonoma County’s project review division manager.

One of the biggest challenges for the site is the lack of space to expand the septic system, Parsons said. Noise and compatibility with the neighborhood have always been a major concern when it comes to the property and proposed changes, he said.

Neighbors would likely challenge any major development proposed on the site.

“We might well oppose it if it’s not within the historical use or the zoning,” said Ron Hirsh, who lives down the road from the facility.

Portis said he would prefer the property to remain mostly unchanged and stay open to residents. However, he said it’s in need of upgrades.

Not much has changed since Wade Barnhart celebrated his fifth birthday at Morton’s.

“I learned to swim here in the kid pool,” said Barnhart, now 32 and the resort’s lead lifeguard and pool operator. Parents who come from as far as San Jose to bring their children to the pools where they once swam as kids, he said, want to see it remain open, even if it means switching to membership fees to make it more feasible.

“It’s a historical landmark,” he said.

Oliver Aslin, the general manager, spent much of his childhood at the pool. He’s the fourth generation - his great-grandmother used to go swimming there.

“I put my heart and soul in this place,” said Aslin, 19. “It’s my second home.”

While the property is back on the market, he’s optimistic it’ll remain open.

“It’s been up for sale many times since I worked here and it’s survived,” Aslin said. “I think it’ll stay Morton’s.”

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.