The Wellington Village Council voted earlier this month to clear the path for 220 apartments behind the Hampton Inn hotel near the Mall at Wellington Green, as talk of including “workforce housing” faded but new restrictions on construction emerged.
A patchwork of village rules could be interpreted as allowing certain building activities until 10 p.m., but a deal approved unanimously at a meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11 attempted to nail down an agreement not to do outside construction work after 8 p.m., while introducing dust-dampening requirements and other stipulations on the “Axis 2” project.
Absent from the discussion at the second and final reading were any attempts to address workforce housing, in the sense of giving folks such as teachers, firefighters or law enforcement officers formal, agreed-upon breaks on the rental price.
Wellington Mayor Michael Napoleone brought up the issue at the first reading Jan. 28, saying he “would like to see Wellington accessible to young families.” He asked if that could be addressed by second reading. But builder representatives indicated that might be difficult to do, given their settlement agreement with the village that set up this development, and the topic disappeared by Feb. 11.
Instead, Napoleone and fellow council members focused on setting limits on how late builders can use heavy equipment and outlining what needs to happen when dirt gets up in the air and affects the lives of nearby residents, including patrons at the nearby hotel.
The council approved master plan changes, as well as changes in zoning and the village’s comprehensive plan that make the project possible. Specific design plans will come back before village boards and the council in the future.
The latest tweaks in approval conditions include that construction activities shall not begin before 8 a.m. on Saturdays, that rules apply for when dust-control measures such as watering trucks will be required, and that noisy, dusty or brightly lighted outdoor work shuts down by 8 p.m. on any given workday.
“I think this is a good template to use for future development that neighbors other properties,” Napoleone said. “I think 10 p.m. is too late, 6 p.m. is maybe too early, maybe 7 or 8 is appropriate.”
He mentioned the recent experience with the Lotis Wellington project on the west side of State Road 7 north of Forest Hill Blvd., helping to bring the matter to the attention of the council.
The building curfew refers to the operation of power tools, excavation and demolition equipment, flashing lights and other activities, he said.
Builders signed off on the broad outlines, while seeking clarifications.
“I think that’s acceptable. That would not prohibit if the buildings are up and somebody is doing finishing work inside,” said Joni Brinkman, principal and senior planner with the firm Urban Design Studio, working with the project backers.
Applicants asked to be allowed to begin the clubhouse and southernmost apartment building before a northern landscaping border was complete, because those structures were not close to the hotel. Council members agreed.
The building is set to take place on 10 acres south of Forest Hill and northwest of the mall. The parcel was the subject of a lawsuit settlement agreement between the village and the original mall developers Brefrank last year.
The deal provides for village control of 22 acres of wetlands and puts $11 million into Wellington’s accounts, a slice of which is set aside for high school athletic facilities in the village. Earlier proposals from other organizations to put a performing arts center with housing and offices on the 10 acres did not break through to win the council’s embrace, as some council members expressed worries that an arts center could become a financial albatross that the village would ultimately have to bail out.
Apartment buildings will take up 19 percent of the site at up to six stories each and will come with 521 parking spaces, builders said. Some 4.27 acres will remain open or recreational space.
A market study commissioned by builders said apartments will help provide housing for people filling a projected need for 8.3 percent more workers in the county over the next seven years.
“Workforce housing” efforts to give credits to middle-class workers, or tie their rents in some way to their income, have sometimes run into compliance and oversight problems elsewhere in the county.
In other business:
- The Wellington Community Foundation was recognized for contributing $37,000 toward village projects for seniors, children and others. Foundation Chair Jim Sackett said, “These are not just programs. They’re lifelines.” (See related story here.)
- The council honored Palm Beach County School District Teacher of the Year Kimberly Stalker, a sixth-grade engineering teacher at Polo Park Middle School.
Stalker said she was grateful for a chance to pursue her passion for “engagement, out-of-the-box thinking, taking the curriculum and bringing it to life.”
School Board Member Marcia Andrews, whose district includes Wellington, relished the fact that the top teacher works in her turf.
“There are 13,000-plus teachers in Palm Beach County, and she sits right here in the Village of Wellington,” Andrews said.
Polo Park student debate teams also won plaudits for taking home six trophies at a recent tournament.
