Wellington
residential projects to proceed without knowing all the details for the new horse center promised by Wellington Lifestyle Partners, the Bellissimo company leading the project.
“If we are getting the expanded showgrounds, I can’t envision why anyone would take out property of the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District if I don’t know if I am getting all of it,” council member Michael Napoleone said.
Wednesday’s meeting was the second of the first three scheduled for this week where the council will review Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ plans for the communities, which represent Bellissimo’s third attempt to develop land he owns in the equestrian preserve. They will continue at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Wellington North would be built on 96 acres at South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road, on the sites of the current Equestrian Village and the White Birch Polo Club. It would feature 49 single-family homes, 47 townhomes and a private country club.
The 96 acres for The Wellington North are the ones Bellissimo has proposed removing from the preserve, which voters created in 2000 and where hotels, motels, condominiums, apartments and high-density housing are banned and commercial buildings are limited.
The Wellington South would bring 109 homes and five 4-acre farms to 290 undeveloped acres at South Shore and Lake Worth Road. Part of its application calls for changing the zoning on 114 acres to allow for the new equestrian showgrounds at the south end of the Wellington International property. It would replace Equestrian Village and include a stadium as tall as six stories.
The village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee recommended last summer that the Village Council reject Bellissmo’s proposals until plans for the new equestrian center are in place. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval of The Wellington South but that no action be taken on The Wellington North until the showgrounds question is resolved.
The growth-management group 1000 Friends of Florida urged Wellington to reject The Wellington North, saying the removal of the 96 acres would set a precedent for development in the preserve.
Is the cart before the horse?
Wednesday’s meeting drew crowds of equestirans and nonequestrians alike, including some of the most influential families of the preserve.
Most residents told the council Wellington Lifestyle Partners filed their plans backward. They want the developer’s team to resubmit the proposal from the beginning, starting with a complete, detailed proposal and financial commitments for the new showgrounds.
The complex, which would sit at the southern end of the Wellington International complex off 40th Street South, exists only in proposal form, with no formal plans before the village. The council will not vote on it as part of its decision on the two luxury communities.
“Not with a half-baked plan, but with a solid plan,” Glen Fleisher said. “Let them come back with a truly equestrian plan that has clarity and transparency on the source of funds, on ownership on how the horse-focused developments will be maintained and enhanced over time.”
People also raised concerns over relocating Equestrian Village to consolidate all equine sports in an expanded Wellington International.
“Bigger might not be better,” said Jimmy Toronto. “Maybe we just need to make the showgrounds better.”
The first topic council members discussed was vehicle traffic. A village report found the developments would not increase traffic in the preserve because there would be improvements to intersections along Pierson Road and Gracida street.
Juan Calderon, a traffic engineer hired by a preserve property owner, painted a darker picture. He told the council that roads in the preserve are already overburdened and can expected to be highly impacted by the two communities.
Calderon said the village’s study used outdated data from 2016, did not account for the growth of Wellington’s population and failed to consider how the opening of Wellington Sports Academy at Wellington Community Park, near The Wellington South development, might add vehicles to the area.
“I agree that adding lanes to an intersection will reduce delay,” Calderon said. “Now, would that suffice? That’s a different story.”
The village’s traffic engineer told the council she stood by her report. For Napoleone, it didn’t make sense.
“Everyone behind you is wondering how, if you develop the North and South into residential, and you add the sports academy, and you add the marketplace, the traffic situation is going to get better?” she asked.
Would plan’s OK set a precedent?
Mayor Anne Gerwig asked the village staff if removing the 96 acres from the preserve and moving its boundary to start south of Pierson Road would set a precedent for development in the area.
“The suggestion is well you just move it,” Gerwig said. “So now, everything south of there would be subject to that kind of incremental loss.”
Village planning director Tim Stillings disagreed. He said Pierson was a suitable start for the preserve’s boundary and that the Wellington North plan was compatible with other surrounding developments.
“It’s great for cartography, but it’s not necessarily great for preservation,” Napoleone said.
Napoleone asked Stillings if the staff would have recommended taking land out of the preserve without the developer’s promise to build new showgrounds. “I don’t believe so,” Stillings said. Napoleon said the council needed to focus on what the real plans proposed for the showgrounds were. He said what Bellissimo’s team has agreed to as a condition of approving the residential projects isn’t enough to prove the new facility will be built.
“The phase one that we’re being guaranteed in condition seven is just moving what we already have to a different footprint so they can build what they’re not allowed to build on the Equestrian Village and White Birch footprint,” Napoleone said. “With the hope and promise that someone’s going to come in with a couple of dump trucks full of cash to build out the rest of it.
“Because if they don’t build up the rest of it, we’re not really gaining anything,” he added. “We’re just moving one thing to another footprint, with the hope that we’re going to get the rest of it.”
Residents who spoke in support of the projects said Wellington’s stake in the equestrian industry depended on winning village approvals for the two communities.
Some said they would be the only way to get new and improved showgrounds. They fear the village will lose equestrian sports if the council turns down the proposals.
Tommy Skiffington, an equestrian and village resident, said Wellington is facing competition from Ocala which he described as “Disneyland for horses.”
He added Bellisismo and Stone deserved credit for bringing the horse show to the village.
“Wellington is the only place where the farms are nicer than the showgrounds.” Skiffington said. “It won’t always be Wellington without the horse show.”
Romain Marteau urged the council to negotiate with Bellissimo to ensure new showgrounds would be built.
“Finding the best way of building a horse show is really the way forward,” he said. “Instead of just saying ‘no’ to everything.
Residents who opposed the projects said Bellissimo’s vision for Wellington’s equestrian preserve would destroy its character.
They said the residential projects, new showgrounds and plans later to add a mixed use development nearby would worsen traffic and harm the equinebased area.
“Most of us are here tonight to protect our hometown and our quality of life,” said Kristy Lund, a member of the village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee, which voted to reject the projects.
Equestrians said the removal of 96 acres of the preserve should be negotiated solely on promises of the new showgrounds.
Caroline Luther, a village resident and dressage rider, said she didn’t trust Bellissimo’s team could fulfill their promises to build new and improved showgrounds. “I believe they will find a loophole and we will lose both dressage and land from the preserve,” Luther told the council during the meeting. “There are a lot of unknowns.”
Jennifer Benoist told the council that she supported Belissimo’s plan to build Equestrian Village 12 years ago but that it never lived up to the promises. She said the luxury residential projects don’t feature equestrian amenities and aren’t what the horse show needs.
“All of this development is not for equestrian benefit,” said. “What we need is affordable housing for the folks who care for the horses.”