The Wellington Village Council’s K-Park action was a disgrace, highlighting the voting members’ incompetence to act, and clearly displayed an arrogant disregard for the residents.
Each presentation had a land planner, landscape architect, building architect, marketing staff, audio-video staff and company management. Each presentation easily cost each bidder more than $100,000 to prepare. After three village meetings, last Tuesday’s meeting, and after over 350 residents show up for input, the council then stated that they never really wanted to sell K-Park, so “never mind.” Why put everyone through that process, time, expense and ordeal to ignore the entire issue?
Councilman Matt Willhite made it apparent that he had little concern for voter input during his comments. There were so many catcalls from the audience, the mayor had to stop the proceedings a number of times to muzzle the residents. Councilman Willhite said he didn’t want public pressure to influence the bidding process. This man is now running for Florida State House. A politician who clearly considers public pressure a nuisance and something that won’t change his thinking? Clearly he represents his opinion and not the voters. It’s very interesting that without public input, the three voting council members ranked the highest density project, with 11 units per acre, adding more than 700 homes onto the real estate inventory just as housing is starting to recover, as their number-one choice, but when the citizen input rejected the council’s selection, the council changed the entire process and slapped everyone in the face with a clear 2-1 “never mind.” Only Councilman John Greene wanted to hear from the public. The mayor clearly stated from the dais that he never wanted to sell K-Park from the beginning and Councilman Willhite clearly stated he didn’t care what the residents wanted. This vote clearly demonstrates just where the council dysfunctional incompetence resides. For the last few years, Wellington’s council has been a disaster. Now you can clearly see whom it comes from.
Victor Connor, Homeland
According to the Palm Beach Post Times, John McGovern was sworn as Wellington’s newest Councilperson Monday, February 2nd at the Village Hall!
Hmmm, the public was told that the swearing in would take place this coming Tuesday, February 10th at the Council Meeting.
What’s the rush?!?!?
Remember Councilman McGovern you were selected by the council, not the voters in Wellington.
Who is Willhite and Greene in bed with? One is pushing to develop and the other one is looking to be the rep.selling and leasing space.LOL
Don’t let the bed bugs bite.staff,council members and developers.
Once again, it was Councilman Willhite who urged the Council to seek development of Kpark and the docile Council blindly followed what he advocated (a frequent occurence). Willhite, Greene and Margolis-the Gang of 3- also failed to listen to Wellington residents when they pushed to have the 10 acres of land at Stribling Way and Lyons Rd serve as a new tennis center, when nearby Village Walk residents wanted a passive park on the 10 acres and tennis members wanted to remain at the current tennis facility near the Municipal Center. So much for listening to residents!
The Gang of 3 also want to take another 10 acres of open land to build low income ( read that as Government Housing Vouchers, Section 8) senior living buildings near the Hampton Inn. Staff indicated that there would need to be 3 to 4, 4 story buildings on the land! Take open space and build except not in the precious Equestrian Preserve.
The residents of Oakmont, Castellina may not know that they escaped an even worse plan for Kpark in 2013. The Gang of 3-Willhite, Greene and Margolis- gave an exclusive contract (and later an extension of that contract) for Kpark land to an equestrian group that wanted to put a horse park on the land! Do a search on the subject: “Palm Beach Horse Park” and look at the tab: “The Vision” and see what was in store for you on that site plan: Stables for 500 horses (think manure bins, too! and the trucks to haul it), car, trailer and RV parking for 2000 rumbling in and out! And it was John Greene who stated over and over at Council meetings and Agenda Reviews that RV and trailer parking should be included on the site (when land owners in the Equestrian Preserve were fighting to keep an RV and trailer park OUT of their area!)
And why in the world, does a park have to have baseball fields, basketball courts with tall outdoor lights like Councilman Willhite mentioned? How about a beautiful passive area with kayaking, paddleboats, jogging and bike trails. Yes, it will cost to maintain the area, but so do other parks and equestrian trails in Wellington.
The Council talks as if other Wellington residents who do not live near Kpark want the land to be developed. What a joke. Wellington residents hunger for open land, not more buildings, commercial areas. The older interior of Wellington is going to collapse if these Council members do not have the foresight to take corrective action.
It is evident that this current Council is out of touch with its residents. Time for an overhaul in 2016.