Wellington residents will get a chance to review proposed plans for the Wellington Town Center project and offer comments about their likes, dislikes and ideas at a public input meeting set for Monday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).
“This will be the first of a minimum of two publicly advertised meetings for public input,” said Wellington Village Manager Paul Schofield, who explained that the council was very clear on the importance of public input. “The council said before we move forward, we would have to have this public outreach.”
The workshops could lead to major changes to the area surrounding the Wellington Community Center and the Wellington Municipal Complex, with a focus on the Lake Wellington waterfront.
“The Town Center project is an outgrowth of the work we have been doing for the past decade,” Schofield said. “Now, as we look forward to the next decade, we are making plans.”
The meeting will be an opportunity for the public to see what might be done and make comments.
“We will have six tables set up with each devoted to displays of one of the elements of the project,” explained Michael O’Dell, Wellington’s assistant director of planning, zoning and building. “There will be an introduction with a five-minute video running to explain the background… and tables for the waterfront, the development along Ken Adams Way, greenspace and water features, and a space to write down comments.”
In addition to the stations where discussions will occur, the meeting will have a facilitated session where residents are encouraged to voice their ideas and thoughts about the proposals.
O’Dell said the format is such that residents will want to be there rather than try to watch it on TV. He said that there will be a lot of discussions going on at once and residents will want to voice their opinions.
Comprised of improvements being considered for the village property located at Forest Hill Blvd. and Ken Adams Way, the project involves various property improvements, ranging from infrastructure and public facilities to mixed-use facilities coordinated with adjacent property owners.
The various components and others yet to be developed, together with existing improvements, are being discussed in the public meetings to gain information to use in the development of the initial phase of the project.
Schofield said that this is an opportunity for residents to understand what is planned and offer input and ideas. “They can tell us what they like and don’t like; what they would like us to do, or if they would like us to do nothing at all,” he said.
For more information, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.
