'Not ready': Wellington council delays final vote on Mark Bellissimo project

WELLINGTON — After three more days of hours-long meetings deep into the night, the Village Council has punted, again, Mark Bellissimo's project to build two luxury communities in Wellington's equestrian preserve.

The lack of clearly defined conditions for the proposals — which require the removal of 96 acres out of the preserve — led the council to delay a decision until February 7.

"We want to get this out right," said Councilman John McGovern. "We don't want to get this out fast."

The council unanimously agreed on Thursday, Jan 25. to hold off voting on plans by Wellington Lifestyle Partners to build The Wellington North and The Wellington South developments until it had all the final conditions in writing.

Wellington Lifestyle Partners has agreed to several conditions, including defining the horse facilities they are required to build on 114 acres for the new showgrounds, before breaking ground on the proposed residences.

Throughout this week's meetings, with each running until nearly midnight, council members and attorneys for some of the most influential property owners in the preserve asked for additional safeguards. Those included having Wellington Lifestyle Partners agree to revert the 96 acres back to the preserve if they fail to fulfill their promises.

Wellington residents and their attorneys expressed great frustration over what they said is the lack of transparency to changes on the project's applications and the conditions the developer would be required to agree to in order to receive a green light.

"It's just not ready," said Len Feiwus, an attorney representing families in The Equestrian Club Estates. "This is an extraordinary decision and can't be done in a shooster."

It wasn't immediately clear if residents will be allowed to voice public comments during the Feb. 7 meeting regarding the updated terms and conditions.

Changing conditions delay Wellington vote

Since last year, the village has held a dozen meetings on the proposals by Wellington Lifestyle Partners, of which six have been before the council. Yet complex questions remain.

Council member Michael Napoleone said the voluntary conditions set by Wellington Lifestyle Partners still needed to be fleshed out. He said they outlined a list of facilities but failed to set quality standards.

"My concern is locking in to conditions I don't understand," said Napoleone.

McGovern told Doug McMahon and Paige Bellisimo, who are leading the project, the conditions were necessary to ensure the village would have protections in case the company didn't fulfill its promises.

"I need belts, suspenders and bubble wrap for this village," McGovern said.

Many council members weren't aware of certain elements set forth in the conditions.

Council member Michael Drahos expressed surprise that the donation of 55 acres that Wellington Lifestyle Partners promised in exchange for the approvals wouldn't be transferred to the village until 2028. The village plans to use the land for a park.

Plus, Drahos said, he believed some conditions proposed by interested parties on Wellington Lifestyle were "a far reach."

"Are we squeezing them to a point where they can't succeed?" Drahos asked.

Opponents say project is backward, lacks transparency

Opponents of the projects say the village is conducting the process backward.

Jane Cleveland, chair of the village's Equestrian Preserve Committee, told the council it shouldn't dictate the programming elements for new showgrounds based on a list of conditions tied to Wellington Lifestyle Partners' permission to build residences.

Cleveland said the process has lacked transparency as the Equestrian Preserve Committee didn't participate in the creation of the conditions, nor was it given the chance to evaluate them. She added the conditions weren't made available to the public before the meeting.

"It feels like a backroom deal," Cleveland said. "The whole Equestrian Preserve Committee should be involved in the condition."

Cleveland also urged the council to consider adding further protections to the equestrian preserve to prevent other property owners from asking to have their lands removed from the 9,000-acre preserve.

"This a big trade," Cleaveland said. "What does the preserve get in return for what you are considering doing to it?"

Feiwus raised concerns that agreeing to a set of conditions that list the elements of new showgrounds could conflict with the recommendations made by future village boards for the venue.

Feiwus urged the council to follow the recommendations issued by the village's Equestrian Preserve Committee and its Planning Zoning and Adjustments Board last year. Those were to table the decision until Wellington Lifestyle Partners submits a site plan for the horse center and the boards vet it — all before granting Wellington Lifestyle Partners approval to remove 96 acres form the equestrian preserve.

"Unfortunately, the belts aren't tight enough and the bubble wrap isn't safe enough," said Feiwus. "What you are trying to do can't be done with a condition."

Uncertain ownership of showgrounds loom over proposals

Residents also raised concerns about setting conditions for the new showgrounds that would expand the Wellington International complex, given that the venue is for sale.

"We are talking about conditions but who is going to own this in the future?" said Maureen Brennan, a Wellington resident and equestrian. "More than putting the cart before the horse, this is a mishmash."

Napoleone said defining the facilities required on the new site wouldn't permit the future owners of Wellington International to decide what is best to do with the expanded showgrounds.

"If we lock in these conditions," Napoleon said, "the person who is looking to buy the horse show is restricted to doing this vision, as opposed to getting a blank slate."

Brennan said the council should separate the showgrounds proposal from the residential applications and find a way to build it without taking land out of the equestrian preserve to build townhomes.

"If this is really about improving the horse show, can we stop this whole conversation, separate it and let it be sold?" Brennan asked. "I think we are getting wrapped into an unknown future."

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Wellington council delays final vote on Bellissimo equestrian projects