Meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Wellington Village Council unanimously approved a $47 million deal to sell the village-owned K-Park property to developer Related Ross and an educational partner, setting the table for restaurants, stores, a hotel, hundreds of rental residences and a high-end private school on a prized parcel southwest of State Road 7 and Stribling Way.
The contract approved at the meeting remains contingent on Wellington’s final approval of specific development plans in a process that could take 18 months to two years to play out. It includes what Village Attorney Laurie Cohen called “off-ramps” for the parties to bail out, losing parts of deposits in some cases, if things don’t go as planned.
“This is the best package with the best people behind it,” Mayor Michael Napoleone said.
However, that does not mean everything is quite settled. “We know we have to solve the traffic issue,” he said.
In a statement after the vote, Related Ross President Kenneth A. Himmel said, “We thank the Wellington Village Council and all Wellington residents who supported this transformative vision. The project will create a vibrant retail and dining-focused community gathering place, enhance green spaces, provide new residences and establish a world-class, not-for-profit private school at the heart of Wellington.”
Discussions going forward are likely to focus on density, traffic and accommodating neighbors. Builders have mentioned about 400 to 550 residences over time, from townhomes to apartments, though one person said the top number is more like 500 at this point.
A hotel could feature 150 to 180 rooms, Himmel said at the meeting.
Future public hearings will deal with the details of traffic and perhaps include walls, barriers or landscaping to shield nearby communities, Napoleone said.
The mayor said provisions in the contract are designed to make sure that the builders proceed with 50 percent of commercial buildings before starting to build residences.
Napoleone downplayed the notion that the village had somehow hurried down this path with K-Park.
“This is not a rushed project,” he said. “We’ve been talking for 10 years about this site.”
Councilwoman Maria Antuña said it is just the start of a long process.
“This is not going to happen overnight,” she said. “The one thing I’m very excited about is I will have the opportunity to, and I’ll use the word, to hammer Related if I have to, to get what we need for Wellington and what should happen.”
Public comments ranged from support for new eating, shopping, housing and school options, backed by a developer with an established track record in West Palm Beach and around the country, to worries about traffic along the already congested State Road 7 corridor where it connects with two-lane Stribling Way.
Mary Lou Bedford, CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, said her organization supports the project.
“The proposed development offers important opportunities for businesses to grow in our region,” she said.
Resident Ava Parker said she respects the village’s highly rated public schools but thinks options are welcome for families like hers who send their children to private schools outside the village, often with long commutes.
“I think it’s important if we are going to serve our residents, we are going to offer them choices,” she said.
Others argued for a pause on new building.
Jill Townsend, a Wellington resident for 40 years, asked, “Is it incompetence or undue influence that has the village manipulated, always in the favor of developers?”
Arlene Berrie warned about a short-sighted view where individual projects seem justified at the time, but the village loses sight of the cumulative effect.
“Certainly, it’s worth looking at the total picture, instead of develop, develop,” she said. “We already have 15 developments underway in Wellington, and we don’t see any more of the beautiful trees that made this such a great community 30 years ago.”
The five-member council approved the land deal in two parts. That includes $31 million for the commercial and residential development portion with Related Ross, led by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Another $16 million would come from a school backed by the founders of the international school group Education in Motion, who said they will operate this one independently as a U.S.-based, not-for-profit venture.
School officials say they are investing $350 million to serve about 1,675 students from pre-K through 12th grade, when fully built out over two phases.
The final land price could vary somewhat based on factors including a final survey on the property, where appraisals so far have reckoned it covers about 69 acres.
Developers led by the Ward family, builders of the Trader Joe’s plaza across the street from K-Park, had offered $54 million for the property. Village officials said the presence of a nonprofit school affected the land’s sale price compared to a fully commercial venture, though the school’s land price could go up per established contract provisions if Related Ross somehow dropped out.
In other business:
- By a 5-0 vote, the council approved the second and final reading of a franchise agreement for 30 years with Florida Power & Light to provide electric service in the community. It features a higher franchise fee to the village of 6 percent, up from 5 percent in the previous 30-year deal. That translates to revenue of about $900,000 to the village, officials said, ultimately coming from utility ratepayers.
- The council unanimously approved the second and final reading of changes to the village’s comprehensive plan that would, among other things, make clear that up to 22 residences per acre are allowed on certain large “mixed use” projects, such as a potential redevelopment venture at the Mall at Wellington Green. Staff members said the changes corrected errors and omissions in existing rules.
- On its consent agenda, the council voted to authorize $86,000 in emergency repairs at Olympia Park. The purchase order goes to Cerrito Electric. Another item approved a contract of about $169,000 with Dataprose LLC to provide utility bill printing and mailing. The basis for pricing comes from a contract with the City of Plano, Texas.
