Final consideration of the controversial Winding Trails development in Wellington on the former Wanderers Club executive golf course will probably return to the Wellington Village Council at its second meeting in February, according to Village Manager Paul Schofield.
At the council’s meeting Tuesday, Vice Mayor John McGovern asked about the status of the application, which received preliminary approval at the council’s Dec. 13 meeting in a 4-1 vote with Mayor Anne Gerwig opposed.
At the time, Gerwig said she personally favored the project but was concerned that Lakefield South residents had divided positions about the development, which would surround Lakefield South, although it would be separated by lakes and landscaping.
The Winding Trails project has been proposed by W&W Equestrian Club LLC, owned by Jim Ward and Patricia Holloway of Ward Real Estate Services, which purchased the long-unused golf course land in late 2015.
They have proposed nine equestrian-oriented residential lots of 2.3 to 4.45 acres each on the former golf course located near Aero Club Drive and Greenbriar Blvd., with a horse crossing connecting to the showgrounds at Ousley Farms Road and Greenbriar Blvd.
In addition to the comp plan amendment, the council also approved the preliminary reading of ordinances extending the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District (EOZD) to Winding Trails and rezoning the property from commercial recreation to agricultural residential.
Its inclusion in the equestrian district would impose more restrictions than other areas of the EOZD, with a 100-foot minimum lot depth and 250-foot minimum width; a maximum of two stories; a prohibition on clustered development, temporary stabling and covered arenas; and four stalls per acre but no more than 12 per lot. Setbacks for the buildings and manure bins are also more restrictive in order to protect Lakefield South.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Schofield said that village staff had not heard back from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
“We don’t expect to hear back from them much before [Jan. 20],” he said. “My best guess is that the first time that we’re going to have the opportunity to hear it will be the second meeting in February. We will not have time to advertise for the first one, but again it is entirely dependent on when the state responds.”
McGovern also asked about the status of recent applications by Equestrian Sport Productions for comp plan zoning text amendments that would create an Equestrian Commercial Zoning District (ECZD) within the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District.
Schofield said the applications were received on Friday, Jan. 6 and have been posted on the village’s web site at www.wellingtonfl.gov/government/departments/planning-zoning.
“We started the review process on Monday,” he said. “One of the things I had hoped to do was have synopses by the end of business yesterday. Staff has not gotten all the way through them yet. Hopefully, we will have them out sometime tomorrow.”
He said the synopses will also be posted on the web site when they are finished.
Schofield explained that the three applications, for a comp plan amendment, a map amendment and a zoning text amendment, will go to the Development Review Committee first.
“They will all go to the Equestrian Preserve Committee; they will all go to the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board; and they will have multiple hearings in front of the council,” he said.
The amendments seek to increase the height limit, building coverage and density for certain buildings within the proposed ECZD, and add additional commercial uses, including hotels and hotel condominiums.
I’d like to know how many of the members of the council is getting their palms greased on this project. They are suppose to work for the benefit of the people in the area of the project. Not just the few that will get richer by the project.