Gainswave Therapy in Wellington, FL

The council for the village of Wellington approve a rezoning change, which would allow developers to build homes on the current equestrian showgrounds and build a new show ground facility in the south of the village.

WELLINGTON, Fla. — The Wellington council approved a rezoning change Thursday night that would allow developers to build homes on the current equestrian showgrounds and build a new showground facility in the south of the village.

The meeting concluded just before 11:30 p.m.

The village council made the decision after a group of developers, led by Wellington Lifestyle Partners, offered the village 59 acres of green space land at Thursday night's meeting. The new offer was an increase from the 50 acres originally offered.

However, three council members approving the project indicated they needed more information to give the final approval during a different meeting.

Councilman Michael Drahos said he believed the exchange was a good deal because it would guarantee the sport's future in Wellington while gaining land.

"We don't own the land that we’re all here talking about," Drahos said. "It's owned by a private entity."

Wellington Lifestyle Partners, who is the applicant, argued a new facility, a stadium and additional showgrounds are needed to compete with other areas like Ocala. The change would take 96 acres out of the Equestrian Preserve Area, which reserves land for equestrian-related activities.

"The status quo isn't an option," Douglas McMahon, the manager of Wellington Lifestyle Partners, said.

According to state documents, Mark Bellissimo was the manager of Wellington Lifestyle Partners until he was removed as a manager in September 2023.

Paige Bellissimo-Nunez is listed as an executive vice president for Wellington Lifestyle Partners, according to her LinkedIn.

State documents also show Mark Bellissimo owns different companies that are part of the project.

Multiple people against the project criticized both Bellissimo and the complex ownership structure throughout the three days of comments.

Michael J. Napoleone, who is also a council member, said he wasn't comfortable giving the applicant full approval because he didn't understand the ownership structure of the applicant. He also said he had questions about the type of horse show the community would receive if it received approval.

Village staff said the next step is council and the applicant setting up an additional date for a second reading.

Councilwoman Tanya Siskind said she was giving approval on Thursday night because there was no consequence at this time. However, she indicated she wanted to see additional conversation and possible changes.

Those council members asked direct and pointed questions of the applicant for almost three hours on Thursday night.

Councilman John T. McGovern, who asked the most questions, was visibly frustrated with the applicant not giving direct answers various times throughout the night. He also voted to approve the first reading, but said he needed more details to approve the project at the second reading.

"We've gone a long way," McGovern said. "But I believe there's more way to go."

McGovern said he doesn't believe traffic concerns have been addressed by the applicant. He also said he had concerns about the zoning, density and conditions the village put on the applicant to not build homes before certain construction is complete.

"If they're not bulletproof," McGovern said, "I'm a no at second reading."

He also said he believes additional conditions need to be added to the land swap offered by the applicant.

"I don't want land and a tax bill on the residents to build it," McGovern said, 'so, that's gotta get worked out."

Wellington Mayor Anna Gerwig, who publicly expressed her vote after three council members moved the project forward, said the equestrian element makes Wellington unique from other cities.

She is concerned conditions aren't enforceable on the development as they are currently written, but she thinks they could change in future conversations.

No date has been set for a second reading on the project.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WELLINGTON – One part of Mark Belissimo’s plan to develop single-family homes, condominiums and a private country club in Wellington's equestrian preserve is facing pushback. This time, the opposition is from one of the state’s leading nonprofit advocates for growth management.

1000 Friends of Florida announced last week that it opposes the development of The Wellington North, a luxury neighborhood proposed on the corner of South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road. The project would require the removal of 96 acres from the 9,000-acre equestrian preserve.

The Florida nonprofit said in a public letter that taking land out of the preserve would set a precedent for future development in the area.

“It is the quintessential “death by a thousand paper cuts”,” wrote Paul Owens, the president of 1000 Friends of Florida. It has not yet taken a position on The Wellington South, the second half of the proposal.

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1000 Friends of Florida posted the letter in the form of an advertisement in Wednesday's editions of The Palm Beach Post. Its appearance comes as the Wellington Village Council has scheduled three days of meetings on The Wellington project. The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 10-12.

Attempts to reach Wellington Lifestyle Partners, a company created by Bellissimo and the international real estate company Nexus Luxury Collection to build the two-section project, were unsuccessful.

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Wellington Lifestyle Partners is seeking to build The Wellington, two high-end communities that would be built close to a promised expansion of the Wellington International equestrian competition grounds.

For Wellington North, the company is seeking to rezone properties on the corner of South Shore and Pierson — known as Coach House, White Birch and Equestrian Village — to build 300 residences including 22 single-family homes and 278 condominiums.

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Owens wrote in the letter that it is an “unfortunate reality” in Florida that degradation to “unique” communities like Wellington often occurs by incremental changes. He said it is seemingly small exceptions that could ultimately undo protections for the equestrian preserve.

“Every time you make an exception to a promise that you've made for preservation, even if it's a small exception, it weakens that promise,” Owens said. “At some point, it could compromise the designation and the preservation could collapse.”

The Wellington is Bellissimo's third attempt to build in the preserve

Wellington established the Equestrian Preserve in 2000 to limit development in the neighborhoods on its rural southwest corner, which has become home to horse farms, ranches and competition venues.

In 2002, it created the 9,000-acre Equestrian Preserve Zoning Overlay District to establish development regulations that would ensure the preservation of green spaces, limit commercial uses and maintain the low density of the area.

The Wellington is the third attempt by Bellissimo, whose companies have long run the Winter Equestrian Festival, to build a large project within the equestrian preserve. He has said the area needs to grow to compete with other equestrian venues, such as those near Ocala and Sarasota.

He submitted plans in 2012 to build a commercial area and a hotel next to his dressage arena on the corner of South Shore and Pierson. Four years later, he filed an application to build another hotel, this time next to Wellington International.

The 2016 proposal led to record-breaking participation in village elections and a vote where residents barred hotels, motels, and apartments from the equestrian preserve.

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Last year, Wellington Lifestyle Partners also submitted a separate application to place a hotel and a commercial area with shops and restaurants next to the proposed Wellington North. Plans for the “equestrian downtown” however, haven't been updated since last year.

Many village residents have said they fear the project would transform the preserve’s characteristic quiet, green spaces and low-density housing. The letter from 1000 Friends echoed those concerns.

“These planning efforts were adopted to create and conserve the open space that is obviously necessary for an equine-based community,” Owens wrote.

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1000 Friends of Florida, founded in 1987, advocates for what it calls sustainable, equitable communities and environmental conservation in Florida.

Owens said the organization is concerned with the threat to lands throughout Florida that have been designated either for conservation or preservation.

In the letter, 1000 Friends of Florida described Wellington’s equestrian preserve as a “gem of thoughtful planning” to protect rural lifestyle in an area of the state that is facing “incredible growth pressures.”

Owens said the equestrian preserve is a defining feature of Wellington. “And the fact that it's so rare in Florida is part of what makes it so special,” he said. “It reflects a decision, a plan made by residents that reflects the will of the community.

“It’s a covenant within the community that should not be violated.”

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The nonprofit’s board voted to oppose the request by Wellington Lifestyle Partners to amend the village’s comprehensive plan by rezoning properties, and removing 96 acres out of the preserve and relocating its border to start south of South Shore Boulevard.

Owens said that undoing a portion of that land’s conservation designation, even if it is only 1%, to enable development weakens the protections that the village has set and poses a threat to similar properties within that conservation area and nearby land.

When exceptions are made for developers, Owens added, it creates momentum for other property owners to do the same.

“I think that would create a stronger foundation for somebody else who's in a similar situation,” Owens said. “Why can’t I do that? You already made an exception for this other person.”

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In the letter, 1000 Friends of Florida compared Wellington Lifestyle Partners' request to the compromises county officials have made for developers to build in Palm Beach County's Agricultural Reserve.

Owens said negotiating away the protection promised for land can be an irreversible trend that builds on precedent for planning decisions.

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“I think anytime that deals like these are made that result in development of land that had been promised for conservation, it's a threat to conservation land, everywhere,” Owens said.

The nonprofit also urged the Village Council to follow the Equestrian Preserve Committee's unanimous recommendation to deny the land and zoning changes.

“We strongly urge you to hold the (Equestrian Preserve Area's) recommendation and honor the commitment made to land conservation in the EPA by opposing this comprehensive plan amendment.”

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her atvpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism:Subscribe today.

WELLINGTON, Fla. —

Palm Beach County is now home to what’s being called the world’s largest 3D-printed building.

It’s a brand new, state-of-the-art equestrian facility in Wellington.

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“This is the world's largest 3D-printed structure. And that was just by luck. It wasn't a planned thing,” Jim Ritter, the founder and CEO of Printed Farms, said.

Printed Farms is a South Florida-based contractor specializing in 3D-printed buildings.

“Why I did it is we need more sustainable and better systems for building. Currently, we lack labor, we lack skilled labor as even a larger lacking that we call trades. And it's really what's happened in every other industry. This is the automization of building,” Ritter said.

The company’s latest project is this more than 10,000-square-foot equestrian facility in Wellington, soon to be home to dozens of prized showjumping horses.

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It’s completely made of concrete laid by a 3D printer.

“We print one inch high, two inches wide, just like a normal printer. We lay down, you know, little strips,” Ritter said.

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“It would take the largest hurricane ever to do damage to this. And the walls would – I always joke that when Florida's underwater, you can dive on my buildings, so we'll see how that goes,” Ritter said.

Ritter said the technology behind the 3D printing is greener, more sustainable, and ultimately results in a stronger structure. He said the equestrian facility will last 100 years.

Printed Farms built its first permitted home in Tallahassee in 2021, and he believes this kind of construction is the future.

“You spend 30 years paying off your home, and then you want to pass it on, well, if that home isn't worth anything, because it falls apart, that generational wealth is wasted. So, what we're trying to do is build 100-year-old homes that can withstand these climate events and be passed on to the next generation,” Ritter said.

Printed Farms is hosting a grand opening for the 3D-printed equestrian facility (16311 Hollow Tree Lane, Wellington, FL) next Wednesday, Aug. 30, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WELLINGTON, Fla. — After months of consideration and discussion, the Wellington Lifestyle Partners proposal to rezone parts of the Equestrian Preserve into residential properties is finally heading to a final vote with public comments Tuesday and two others scheduled this week.

Residents, wearing red shirts that read "Horses not homes," are upset with the proposal to turn the current equestrian showgrounds into a houses with a driving range and a new venue with a stadium.

Enough people turned out to fill the the council chambers and an overflow room. Also there were protesters holding signs outside.

"I still have nightmares about where I'm going to put my horses," one resident told the members.

The proposal wasn't voted upon Tuesday night with meetings scheduled Wednesday and Thursday to accommodate public comments.

"That's why we've allocated three days in the event we need all three days, and that's not to say we won't need more," village Manager Jim Barnes said.

Developers say they have changed the plan about 15 times based on feedback.

In a video posted on their website, Wellington Lifestyle Partners stated that they have listened and learned from the feedback and criticism of their plan. A north component of the proposal includes a golf community while a south component includes expanded equestrian facilities and grounds.

"Throughout this application process, we have strived to engage with the community and respond to feedback," Paige Bellissimo Nunez, the executive vice president of Wellington Lifestyle Partners, said. "We have greatly modified our applications."

Wellington Lifestyle Partners is seeking to solidify the village's position as an equestrian center with a projected 50 additional acres for showgrounds over what exists now.

Some of the public input has centered on concerns over new development and traffic in the village.

"I don't know how good it is for all the people in Wellington, but for the equestrian people, it's very good," Wellington resident Janet Kozzi, who admits she is now an equestrian person, said.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WELLINGTON — Mark Bellissimo’s team has submitted a proposal to build a horse megacenter in the village’s equestrian preserve that would include a stadium that could be as tall as 65 feet and seat as many as 10,000 people.

The project would also include a derby field and high-end vendor spaces as it doubles the size of Wellington International, adding 114 acres to the 111-acre campus on the northeast corner of Gracida and Gene Mische streets.

The venue along 40th Street South would replace Equestrian Village, where dressage events are currently held, and consolidate all equestrian sports in one venue. Bellissimo’s team has proposed closing Equestrian Village as part of its plans to build The Wellington, a luxury-home community, in the village’s equestrian preserve.

“The Equestrian Village facility can no longer safely and operationally accommodate the level of activity,” wrote Paige Bellissimo in a letter “Although Wellington’s showgrounds capacity will double, the number of horses will not, meaning everyone will have more space.”

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Village Council meetings on Bellissimo's Wellington equestrian plan start Tuesday night (Oct. 10)

Bellissimo’s team released the showgrounds proposal on the eve of the Village Council considering its applications for the two parts of The Wellington. Hearings are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Village Hall and could run through Thursday night.One part, The Wellington North, asks the village to do something it never has approved before: remove land from the 9,000-acre preserve to allow a developer to build — in this case, a luxury residential club community. The 96 acres are home to Equestrian Village and Whitebirch Polo Club.

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For Wellington South, Bellissimo’s team is requesting a land-use change for the 114 acres where the new showgrounds would go to equestrian commercial from residential. It would be a first step toward making the new showgrounds happen.

The team also wants the village to declare the new equestrian center is compatible with the goals of the Equestrian Preserve Area (EPA).

“While the priority is to 'preserve and protect,' the EPA, preservation here means safeguarding the equestrian community and lifestyle rather than setting aside large green spaces,” stated the Bellissimo application.

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The absence of the showgrounds proposal in part led the village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee to reject the project in June and its Planning and Zoning Board in August to recommend approval for only one part, The Wellington South, and for The Wellington North either to be tabled or rejected until it could vote on a proposal for the new showgrounds.

Some say approving Wellington North would create a precedent for the village in allowing land to be removed from the preserve for development. The village says the removal would not set a precedent and that it would handle similar requests on their merits.

Many equestrians and landowners in the preserve also are upset that Bellissimo has not made improvements on his existing showgrounds at Equestrian Village. He has long staged the Winter Equestrian Festival dressage-related events at the site, at South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road.

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Bellissimo’s team argued the expansion is necessary to support the growth of Wellington International and for the village to keep its stake in the equestrian industry against competing locations near Ocala and Sarasota.

It has stated the new horse center will be better both for riders and spectators, making the venue accessible by safer paths, creating a less-congested showground with more green spaces and offering more luxury viewing, vendor and dining options.

“That demand will not double the number of horses so the venue will have a more spacious and park-like feel for all concerned,” stated the application.

The centerpiece would be a new International Arena that would accommodate up to 10,000 spectators between general admission, boxes and dining areas. It will be designed to allow attendees to overlook the derby field, the winner's enclosure, barns and vendor plazas.

Belissimo’s team this week is seeking a compatibility determination from the village to build the horse megacenter on undeveloped land in the equestrian preserve. It is also requesting a change to village code that would allow the facility to be up to 65 feet tall. The preserve has a 25-foot height limit.

The 25-foot height limit is “not consistent with market trends,” the proposal said. Raising it will allow “greater flexibility in how the expanded showground is laid out.”

“Wellington’s equestrian industry would atrophy or outright cease to exist without major equestrian venues,” stated the application, which talks of making Wellington "the Horse Sport Capital of the World."

“And these types of venues need flexibility to be operationally and economically viable,” the application said.

The new Wellington showgrounds: What's in the blueprints?

The proposal calls for:

Who owns the proposed showground property?

According to the application, the 114 acres for the proposed The Wellington South are owned by “key stakeholders in the community” and lists six companies owned by Mark Bellissimo. They sit along 40th Street South between Idle Dice Road, which becomes Gene Mische Way, and 140th Avenue South.

A portion of the property is in a flood zone, according to village maps.

How would the new Wellington showground be built?

The showground expansion would be phased over several years.

The derby field and its schooling area would be the first things to be developed. Then, the first phase of construction would include: a new lake on the northern part of the property, the international barns and schooling fields, lunging rings and other outdoor areas with shaded structures, according to the proposal.

In the first year of operation, hospitality venues would likely be “high-end temporary structures”, and the permanent locations will come with phased build out, the proposal says.

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her atvpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism:Subscribe today.