Hotel decision could shape village

By now you’ve most likely heard that developer Mark Bellissimo is making his final stand to get hotels into what is now the equestrian preserve.

Bellissimo called this “one of the most significant moments in Wellington’s equestrian history,” and it likely will be the case whatever happens. Either he will get his way and build hotels around such properties as the International Polo Club and Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, or the preservationists, such as Jeremy Jacobs and his family, will win and hotels will stay banned from the area.

But what Mark Bellissimo wants or what Jeremy Jacobs wants shouldn’t matter. Each resident of Wellington needs to sit down and think about what they want to help shape the future of Wellington.

Both points have merit. Matt Morgan

If Bellissimo is allowed to build hotels, he might make Wellington the premier equestrian destination in the world. The added attention could increase the village’s tax base, help local businesses and make Wellington a hot place to be all year round.

If he is again rebuffed, it will be a major stand against overdeveloping the preserve, all but ensuring hotels, motels and apartments will never be built in that part of the village. It would be a step in the direction of keeping a small-town feeling that some in Wellington desire.

Those are overviews of the two positions, and you should be thinking about which one better represents your interests.

Let neither mailers nor television ads nor quick sound bites make your decision.

The Winding Trails saga should have taught the residents that the Village Council is listening. Members were elected to make these decisions, but they first need to take the temperature of the town.

The Winding Trails project, which would result in nine large equestrian estates with barns, owner apartments and groom quarters, resulted in dozens of opinions and a packed house for the council meeting.

But that was a decision that basically affected only the people who lived nearby.

This decision affects everyone.

Regardless of whether you’re an equestrian, decide how you want the future of Wellington to look, and make your voice heard. Call your elected officials, email the village or show up at a meeting. Don’t let them make an important decision without your input.