Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board gave its stamp of approval to the controversial Winding Trails development on the former Wanderers Club executive golf course on Monday, Oct. 17.
Village Attorney Laurie Cohen explained that the four agenda items regarding Winding Trails would be discussed together. The first item, a comprehensive plan amendment, is legislative in nature, she said. The other three, including a zoning text amendment, a rezoning and a master plan amendment, are quasi-judicial.
Planning, Zoning & Building Director Bob Basehart explained that the first application proposed changing the land designation from Commercial Recreation to Residential B, adding the property to the Equestrian Preserve Area and adding bridle trails to the comprehensive plan.
The second part creates a new subarea in the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District, while the third part rezones the land and includes Winding Trails within the boundaries of the EOZD. The final amendment is to add a new pod within the Landings at Wellington PUD, 29 acres in size, designated for nine dwelling units with equestrian amenities, and including new access points to the community on Aero Club Drive and Greenbriar Blvd.
Project Manager Kelly Ferraiolo explained that Winding Trails is surrounded by the Lakefield South community. However, she specified, no changes would be made to the Lakefield South community.
Staff recommended approval of all of the Winding Trails items, noting that the defunct, abandoned golf course currently on the land could be made into something with far greater intensity than what Ward Real Estate, the applicant, is proposing.
There were about 50 comment cards, in addition to the 26 cards from the Sept. 14 board meeting. Consideration of the Winding Trails items were postponed from the September meeting when one board member, Tomas Bueno, recused himself after deciding that he could not be impartial on the subject. Not all of the residents who signed comment cards spoke.
Equestrian Preserve Committee Chair Jane Cleveland noted that the petitions were unanimously approved by her board, after committee members noted that one of the parcels could be arranged differently to be quieter, which Ward switched.
“We’re talking about world-class Wellington and a world-class competition industry and a world-class lifestyle all combined, and how we can afford all of that now and in the future,” she said. “We looked at the Winding Trails project. There was a lot of conversation about other potential uses that would be in our minds, worse.”
A denser residential project would be worse, she said, recognizing that the barns will be high-end and attractive.
Lakefield South resident Judythe Byne said that she didn’t want horses and barns adjoining her property. “Please, before you vote on this project, I ask you to drive to my house,” Byne said. “Park the car, go in the back and see how tight how everything is, and then vote ‘no’ for this road and these barns.”
Peter Frusciante, a 38-year resident, also opposed the project. “A major part of this plan is to put a dangerous, smelly road behind residents’ homes,” he said.
He expressed concern for property values, road safety and health issues.
“As a longtime resident, I know that Wellington depends on horses, but at what expense? The residents? Are we being kicked to the curb? A line needs to be drawn,” he said.
Jane Barber, an equestrian who also lives in Lakefield South, supported the project, noting that since the village didn’t buy it, there will be development.
“Being realistic, I think we’re going to see development of it at some point,” she said. “We’re looking at nine properties, which will have a lot more space than if we’re looking at zero-lot-line town homes or condominiums.”
Karen Galanaugh said her beautiful green yard will become water.
“I want to voice my support for Winding Trails. As much as I would like to have it remain the same, I do recognize that it never was my property, and that someday it was going to be developed,” she said. “I like Winding Trails because it brings horses. I like Winding Trails because the people who work with these valuable horses are selected carefully and highly trusted with these valuable horses. I like that these buildings will be beautiful. I like that our security will be increased with the surrounding water. I like that the people density is low.”
Susan Jacobs supported Winding Trails, but was concerned because she is behind Lot 2.
“We weren’t one of the lucky 78 homes receiving water, and I think that everyone would agree that water increases the value of your home. That’s my issue. Like the farm. Like the horses. But, I was wondering why mine wasn’t one of the lucky 78,” she said.
Former Wellington Councilman Matt Willhite, an Aero Club resident, reminded the committee that they are charged with deciding based on facts, not conjecture.
“This is an old, dilapidated golf course, different than any other golf course in Wellington that is not being used. There is no room for this golf course to be used to have the amenities to run as a golf course,” he said. “The next fact is that the Village of Wellington did try to purchase this and was unsuccessful in negotiating, so it is simply not just going to be open green space for the village to own and operate. It was purchased by an individual who knew the options and the risks of purchasing the property.”
The devil is in the details, Willhite said. “What I do know, and you’ve seen here tonight, is that the developer is so willing to work with you and the residents to come forward with the best project to benefit the overall village,” he said, noting that he only sees benefits, including increased property values.
After public comment, Committee Member Carol Coleman expressed her concerns. An equestrian who is married to a developer, Coleman agreed that the Wards will likely do a good job. However, she did not support the idea.
“I think it’s wonderful, I would love to live in it, but I’m concerned about where it is and concerned about making it part of the EOZD,” she said.
Committee Member Jeffrey Robbert asked what would happen if all four of the items on the agenda weren’t approved. Specifically, if the comp plan amendment wasn’t approved. Cohen explained that Winding Trails wouldn’t work unless all four components were approved.
Committee Chair Elizabeth Mariaca pointed out that the village declined to purchase the land, the Wards purchased it, and as such, they have a right to develop it.
“I appreciate greatly that the Wards have certainly, from what I can tell, gone above and beyond, with trying to connect and being receptive to change, and I’ve heard that they’ve already made more than one concession. I appreciate that, and I’d encourage you to continue to do that if we are able to pass this tonight,” she said. “There are 22 conditions for passing the comprehensive plan alone that staff has already imposed.”
Committee Vice Chair Kenneth Kopp, who is on the Aero Club HOA board, said he feels for the neighbors, noting that change is difficult. Yet he was inclined to support the project as the best of the possible options.
Kopp made a motion to approve each item. The four Winding Trails items passed 5-1, with Coleman dissenting. Bueno was not present.
In other business, the board approved a conditional use request for Lot 9 of the Binks Commercial Center at Binks Forest Drive and Bent Creek Road.
Wellington Project Manager Damian Newell led the staff presentation for a 3,600-square-foot veterinary clinic to be built on the now-vacant lot.
There is already a daycare center, Home Away From Home, in the Binks Commercial Center, and as an expansion requirement, it is committed to adding an additional access point with a turn lane. Wellington’s traffic engineer is also requiring that the veterinary office include an access point.
Both are required to build an access point and turn lane when the lots are developed, Newell said.
Conditions of approval for the veterinary clinic include: animals are not able to be boarded overnight at the facility; domestic, non-farm animals can be cared for; and two pet waste stations must be on-site with waste disposed daily.
Staff recommended approving the project, which passed 6-0 on a motion to approve by Coleman.
Truly, is anyone surprised?
The Equestrian Preserve keeping creeping into areas where they intrude upon others long established solitude and way of life.
Funny, how the Preserve can protect their way of life, but every other community has to make way for them.
What a shame that Wellington is so focused on Equestrians and what money they bring to the tax base, that the year round residents wants and needs are shunted to the side.
“Project Manager Kelly Ferraiolo explained that Winding Trails is surrounded by the Lakefield South community. However, she specified, no changes would be made to the Lakefield South community.”
There appears to be a misunderstanding. The Lakefield community will be fundamentally and negatively impacted by this project. Barns will appear within the community, as will a dangerous road, directly behind the houses of residents (many with children and grandchildren who are currently encouraged to play outside, until the smell of horses and the resulting insects and potential diseases permeate and impact the quality of the air). The golf course’s designation as “dilapidated,” furthermore, is a gross overstatement of the facts, and a person only needs to drive by Lakefield to see that language is most certainly mischaracterizing the facts and only being used to sway support. Whether Wellington or the Wards realize it, the residents are aware of their consistent linguistic manipulations meant to make the golf course’s situation appear far more dire than it is. Just the other day, I was driving by a now empty field within the community with numerous children playing and thinking it will just be a matter of time before that is lost to the greed of the village and its desire to foster a stronger relationship with part-time equestrians than the full-time residents who keep the village running all year round. Bike riding, dog walking, and running are just a few of the activities that residents currently enjoy on this so-called dilapidated golf course.
Also,the public should know the truth regarding why the original meeting was postponed. It was certainly not because of the residents, many of who work and needed to use child care in order to attend the original and rescheduled meetings. It was postponed on the actual day of the meeting and at the actual time of the meeting because the committee conceded to a last-minute request by the Wards that caused hardships for hard-working residents who had to return for a second meeting, a very stressful and long meeting with a seemingly predetermined outcome that lasted until midnight. The Wards are a known quantity in the area, with ties to all types of individuals. If an “average” citizen requested a postponement, would it have been so easily granted at the expense of so may others?
During the meeting, young equestrians sat and laughed at earnest residents who spoke out against this plan that will not only harm the lifestyle of Lakefield’s residents, but all of Wellington’s residents who will be impacted by the increased presence of people and dangerous traffic to the area, in general. Perhaps their inappropriate and insensitive laughter was simply emblematic of a larger problem developing in Wellington.
It’s interesting that Wellington’s elected officials drive their cars to the Municipal Center weekly, most likely, and see true dilapidation just across the street from their own offices, yet instead of being concerned about how that impacts Wellington’s “world-class” standing, they are more interested in continuing to encourage equestrians to encroach on our few remaining open spaces for the sake of a dollar, and we wonder why our national elections are in such a state of disarray when even local politics proves that corruption and favoritism are alive, well, and a very sad part of reality for many middle-class people.
Let it be known that while other meetings will take place and new votes will occur, the residents are fully aware of what the outcome will be. They say money changes everything, and in the case of Wellington, after all of these years, as a very long-time resident, I can say that most certainly is true.