The Wellington Village Council was joined by village staff and residents on Tuesday, Oct. 22 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a long-planned new boardwalk, which will be located along Lake Wellington behind the Wellington Community Center.
The design will allow boaters to dock their vessels, expanding the ability to utilize the areas close to the water and bringing a unique add-on and gathering place to Wellington’s Town Center area.
The 800-foot brick boardwalk will pave a pathway along the lake where events will occur, giving the rear of the Wellington Community Center a defined place for outdoor gathering.
Town Center is located along Forest Hill Blvd. at Town Center Drive and Ken Adams Way. It is home to the Wellington Municipal Complex, Scott’s Place playground, the Patriot Memorial, the Wellington Amphitheater, the Wellington Aquatics Complex, the Wellington Community Center and the Lake Wellington Professional Centre.
Councilman Michael Drahos was pleased to see the project get underway.
“When we think of Wellington, we think of parks, families and green space,” Drahos said. “Today marks the first step in building this exciting new addition to our community. I am thankful in sharing this moment with you all and my colleagues.”
Councilman John McGovern said that the boardwalk will provide a lasting impact on the community.
“This boardwalk is just the beginning of what will be the central gathering place of our village that is our Town Center,” he said. “With this project, we are looking ahead, and we are investing in the quality of life for our residents. This groundbreaking ceremony does, in fact, represent a concrete milestone for the village that is a result of a collaborative planning effort between staff and many partners.”
He thanked everyone involved for their hard work and coordination. “We are excited to see our long-range planning come to life with this project,” McGovern said.
The Town Center Boardwalk will cost $2,300,000 for constructing a retaining wall and boardwalk. Funds come from the general revenues and the sales surtax fund.
If the Town Center Boardwalk was long-planned, then why wasn’t it part of the original Community Center project? Moreover, why is it called Town Center in the Village of Wellington, are we embarrassed about our incorporated name?
Apparently, our Council was not listening at the three public meetings, where We The People disapproved of this grandiose concept. In addition, Councilman John McGovern, statement about “a concrete milestone for the village that is a result of a collaborative planning effort between staff and many partners” raises questions like how many partners and who’s getting rich? Follow the money.
The boat docks are needed, however, will this Broadwalk create access problems especially with the Crew docks. The slope being towards land, not the lake will create ponding problems attracting mosquitoes and access issues to the Broadwalk. In addition, how will it affect the existing soil erosion geo-sock protection?
Keep in mind that the Council only budgeted $1.5 M for this $2.3 M project. Item C. 19-3207 on Sept. 24, 2019 Council meeting approved $2.5 M. Which park or road will be neglected so we can have a Broadwalk to Nowhere?