Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee unanimously rejected plans to put 40 luxury homes and a club for up to 300 members on land in the village’s Equestrian Preserve Area on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Whether that means much, as the Isla Carroll proposal proceeds to Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board and ultimately the Wellington Village Council, remains to be seen.
“I think it’s a guise of an equestrian-themed club, but it really isn’t,” Committee Member Sarah Goos said.
“It would not fit my definition of an equestrian lifestyle community,” Committee Member Kirsten Kopp agreed.
The committee is composed of people actively working in the village’s equestrian world, but an earlier version of the panel did not prove to hold much sway in other recent big developments in the space closely tied to Wellington’s signature industry.
This latest proposal plan comes from a team including a development company founded by Frank McCourt, former Los Angeles Dodgers owner, billionaire, Wellington property owner and equestrian enthusiast.
Discussion about the Isla Carroll project wrestled with whether it is reinforcing the village’s equestrian identity or harming it. The applicants said a unique club concept can serve as an “incubator” for aspiring equestrian families, who may be new to that world but eager to embrace it. As skeptics would have it, it lets developers make a buck by selling to wealthy newcomers who can fill their coffers.
Isla Carroll covers 79.2 acres at 3665 120th Avenue South, about 1,350 feet south of its intersection with Pierson Road. The property is just north of the National Polo Center and directly across the street from where Wellington is building its new aquatics facility.
One piece of the plan would change village zoning rules on the property from a designation known as “equestrian residential” to accommodate “planned unit development” housing within the preserve area.
A second part sets up a controlling master plan. That clears the way for 40 homes, with 35 of those on a third of an acre each, and five on somewhat larger lots, 1.5 acres or more. Some 31 acres is set aside for shared club amenities.
The amenities would incorporate elements of what was built in the mid-1990s by polo patron John Goodman, who drew headlines a decade and a half later for his role in a fatal hit-and-run traffic accident. The lot currently includes polo fields and pasture area.
The applicant bought the entire property in June 2022. The owner is listed as 120th Avenue S LLC.
On slightly more than 33,000 square feet, the builders want to maintain a 24-stall barn, covered and open riding rings, paddocks, six grooms’ quarters, a viewing pavilion, and horse and rider comfort stations.
What is being dubbed a “sports complex” would sit on almost 112,000 square feet, featuring a gym, retail and food services, an event barn and business center, a pool, racquet sports and a kids’ club.
An earlier version mentioned a petting zoo, but a representative for applicants said that is no longer under consideration, though there was still talk at the meeting about rescue care for older horses.
“Isla Carroll Wellington is an equestrian-focused development conceived to provide a unique opportunity in the Village of Wellington to live and recreate in a community centered around an immersive equestrian and sporting club program,” noted a justification statement from Lewis Longman & Walker, a law firm representing the applicants.
Others suggest this does fit the setting, because in the end, it’s 40 homes on roughly 80 acres, or two acres per home.
Goos asked if the amenities would be open to members of the general public.
Representatives of the project said no, but instead they are offered to residents and up to a total of 300 club members.
A review by a traffic engineer commissioned by Wellington found the project is likely to result in 1,214 net new daily trips, but it is in compliance with village traffic standards and will not exceed standard road capacities.
The review by Kimley-Horn & Associates recommended yearly monitoring of traffic to make sure it stays in line with projections. It also recommended a northbound turn lane coming out of the project entrance on 120th Avenue South, and a builder’s contribution of 2.82 percent of the cost of a proposed roundabout or signal at 120th Avenue and Lake Worth Road.
There is likely more to come on traffic. For example, a letter from Palm Beach County’s traffic division demonstrating compliance must be submitted to Wellington prior to the project reaching a council public hearing, staff noted.
The project could generate additional students for area schools. The School District of Palm Beach County has recommended the builder contribute $71,870 in an impact fee and, as village leaders see fit, that could become a condition of eventual approval, according to village staff.
A village staff analysis concluded the overall Isla Carroll proposal complies with requirements to change zoning and master-plan rules.
The latest development plan comes amid ownership developments at the Wellington International showgrounds, a big part of the evolving picture in the equestrian area.
In October, the former majority owners of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center — Mark Bellissimo, Marsha Dammerman, Lisa Lourie and Roger Smith — announced they had formed WI FL Acquisition LLC to acquire Wellington International from Global Equestrian Group.
“We are committed to long-term ownership, ensuring that the showgrounds thrive in Wellington for generations to come while welcoming new riders and new families to the sport,” Bellissimo said at the time.
Wellington Lifestyle Partners, backed by Bellissimo, cited a consolidated and revamped showgrounds as an important justification for the removal of 96 acres from the Equestrian Preserve Area, for the first time in village history, to build a luxury golf community. It was one component of a larger plan to construct 203 luxury residences and a commercial main street with a hotel, shops, offices and restaurants.
After a series of packed meetings with polarized public opinions on full display, the council approved the concept 4-1 last February with a series of conditions. An earlier version of that plan received a 7-0 negative vote from the Equestrian Preserve Committee, leading to some changes in the application at future stops, but underscoring that the equestrian panel’s vote on such matters is ultimately only advisory to the council.
Murray Kessler, the new chief executive officer of the showgrounds venture, provided updates at this week’s committee meeting.
He said he prioritizes the safety of horses and the welfare of the sport first, and walks the grounds looking at all the details, from how best to construct new riding rings to faulty bathroom door handles. “I’m super excited and having fun,” Kessler said.
