Equestrian preserve panel OKs Bellissimo’s hotel plans
Developer seeking way around referendum that bans hotels in preserve.
The Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee gave Mark Bellissimo its stamp of approval on his International Polo Club hotel proposals Wednesday in a fourhour meeting.
It was the first time the public was invited to voice opinions on the issue, but it did not generate much buzz from a surprisingly low turnout.
The committee voted 7-0 to recommended that the Village Council pass all of the proposals except the rezoning of a portion of the Polo Club, which passed 6-1. Chairwoman Jane Cleveland said she couldn’t vote in favor of a rezoning without a master plan showing exactly what the developer wants to build. The idea is for Bellissimo to have the master plan before the Village Council votes for the final time.
Bellissimo is looking for a way around a 2016 referendum that pass e d — prohi bi t i ng hot e l s , motels, condo hotels and apartments in the equestrian preserve. He is asking that the International Polo Club be rezoned and subsequently be removed from the preserve.
Vice Chairwoman Kristy Lund said having hotels on the property would be a good thing for Wellington. The village needs to change with the times, or it will get left behind, Lund said.
“You have to support the venues,” she said. “If you don’t have the venues, you won’t have anything.”
Bellissimo wants to build some combination of hotels, apartments and condo-hotels on the Polo Club property to create a resort-style destination in Wellington and attract more off-season activities, which he said will Keep up with The Post’s complete coverage of Wellington on its Facebook page dedicated to the village. On Facebook, search for Post on Wellington.
help local businesses that struggle in the summer.
Either way, Bellissimo says he’s committed to Wellington. He and his partners have invested more than $300 million in the village, he said.
“There’s very little chance of us somehow losing interest in that investment,” he said at the meeting. “Our fundamental goal is to make sure that Wellington continues to evolve.”
The Jeremy Jacobs family, outspoken preservationists in Wellington, sent an attorney to the meeting to try to sway the board in the other direction.
Matthew Chait said the Polo Club proposal is just the start of what’s to come, which he said could eventually result in a “dismantling” of the preserve.