WELLINGTON, Fla. — Equestrians in Wellington will have to wait another two weeks for the village council to decide on a new development that would add luxury houses and a larger equestrian facility.
The project uses 96 acres designated for equestrian activities called the Equestrian Preserve Area to create larger showgrounds and houses.
Officials expected a vote on Thursday night, but disagreements over the language used in a contract between the village and the applicant delayed the vote to Feb. 7.
The applicant is a company called Wellington Lifestyle Partners. It argues a new facility, a stadium and additional showgrounds are needed to compete with other areas like Ocala.
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"The showgrounds on Pod F secure a pathway to attract new investment and growth," Doug McMahon with Wellington Lifestyle Partners said Tuesday night.
Wellington Lifestyle Partners owns about 15 different companies. Eight different companies directly or indirectly have an interest that exceeds 5% in Wellington Lifestyle Partners, according to county records.
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.
Lauren Brody, who testified against the project over the months of meetings, has expressed concerns about trusting Bellissimo's ability to deliver a new horse show due to the condition of the current showgrounds. Multiple people expressed similar concerns over the multiple meetings about the topic before and during the latest meeting on Friday night.
Due to the backlash, the applicant has offered to reduce the number of housing units created, donate about 50 acres of land, pay $2 million to build a park and a requirement to finish building the new showgrounds before any homes are built.
Councilman Michael Drahos, who previously moved the project forward because he believed it would guarantee the sport's future in Wellington while receiving land, questioned staff and the applicant about when the land would get handed over based on the contract.
Councilman John T. McGovern, who said the conditions being "bulletproof" in November was key to his final approval, also had questions about different parts of the contract on Thursday night.
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Maureen Brennan, who lives in Wellington and is an equestrian professional, is leading a recall effort against council members supporting the project. She said it would destroy the town's identity tied to horses.
"Wellington is an equestrian industry," Brennan said. "And if we lose the land, which is the infrastructure for horses, it will continue happening, and therefore the industry will go away."
Brennan and others like Jill Townsend and former Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis believe other developers could try to take land out of the Equestrian Preserve Area.