Thank goodness that we live in a village that is responsive and attentive to its residents.
After a few inquiries about paving some of the roads in Saddle Trail, the Village of Wellington had meetings and sent out ballots of which 63 percent of lot owners voted for (latest poll results). Of course then, out comes the “I’m telling you, there couldn’t be anything more dangerous for horses…,” and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig’s concern that only 63 percent of property owners voted in favor. Heck Anne, you wouldn’t be in office if your two-thirds were the criteria.
More than two decades ago, before incorporation, Dee Staats and myself, head of the Paddock Park One Civic Association, started a campaign to get our roads paved. County Commissioner Ken Foster required 51 percent of all property owners to assent, and we got our votes and prevailed — our roads were paved.
No more rough rides on rutted roads (or shell rock mud tracked into our houses), no more dust in our houses and screen enclosures, and, of course, better air quality.
Yes, we had a bunch of naysayers, doomsday, “it will cause the horse community to leave,” etc… Actually, the exact opposite happened. Our property values jumped up more than our costs, and I have yet to hear of an accident or something negative from our paving, and horses came here in herds.
Horses and shell rock are really not a good mix (abrasiveness), and the swales out there are quite wide, and the village’s horse trail system is one of the best in the state in an urban community, and even now, as we speak, is constantly being improved and extended.
Once again, kudos to the village for their receptiveness to its constituents, and my only regret was that we didn’t include municipal water in our Paddock Park 2 road paving! My wife still reminds me of the dirty white laundry and the circles/stains in the toilets back then.
George Unger, Wellington
