'It's a travesty': Wellington residents speak out about new development plans

WELLINGTON, Fla. (CBS12) — There wasn't a single empty seat in sight at Wednesday night's Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee meeting, as residents eagerly waited to have their voices heard on a sweeping new development proposal.

“I think it’s a travesty to have something like this come into our developments," Wellington resident Carol Coleman said.

“To have more homes here just smack in the middle of where the showgrounds is going to change it forever and make it look like every other planned, zero lot line, high-density facility and take away some of our showgrounds," Wellington resident Jennifer Benoit said.

Entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo and Nexus Luxury Collection have teamed up to take the lead on this massive project, with support from stars Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake.

The nine-figure investment reimagines over 600 acres of the preserve with plans of expanding horse show grounds, building luxury housing and new amenities for equestrians.

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But some longtime wellington residents told CBS12 all that is, is more congestion and less fresh air.

"If they have 300 or more homes there at two and half cars per home, times ten trips a day, you’re talking about thousands of trips coming onto Pearson and South Shore," Coleman said.

“I think that those of us who actually ride horses and train horses and clean stalls and do things like that, we want to preserve that equestrian lifestyle. And our idea of an equestrian lifestyle is green space and horses and having open space. Not having 28 units per acre," Benoit said.

Building along South Shore Boulevard between Lakeworth Road and Greenview Shores calls for a change in zoning. It's one the Equestrian Preserve Committee takes very seriously, as it calls for removing 95 currently protected acres.

This was just the first of two Equestrian Preserve Committee hearings. The proposal still needs to go in front of the planning and zoning board, and final action goes to the Village Council which is tentatively scheduled for the end of August.

A petition circling around online opposing the development already has nearly 3,000 signatures.