Palm Beach Post Editorial

Even When Losing, the Jacobs Win At Wellington’s Expense

BY RHONDA SWAN - PALM BEACH POST STAFF WRITER

The Wellington village council approved two resolutions Thursday that will allow Mark Bellissimo and his team to hold year-round events at the equestrian village at South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road but rejected a staff recommendation to require them to construct a left turning lane on Pierson Road. The vote illustrates just how much influence the billionaire Jacobs family holds over the council.

The Jacobs wanted South Shore Boulevard designated as the primary entrance to the site. The council obliged, 4-1, with Ann Gerwig dissenting.

Mat Forrest, Executive Director of the Wellington Equestrian Preservation Alliance and a local spokesman for the Jacobs family, told the Post Editorial Board that the Jacobs opposed expansion of the two-lane road because " it"s a rural equestrian area. It's against what most people in the equestrian preserve want."

Councilman John Greene used that bogus argument, too. " There's a lot of people who are concerned about that," Mr. Greene said Thursday. " I've gotten phone calls... I'm trying to prevent further litigation."

Where were those people during the two meetings the council held on the resolutions last week ? Representatives for the Jacobs were the only outspoken opponents to the turning lane.

Residents packed the council chambers to protest Mr. Bellissimo's original plans for an $ 80 million equestrian village with a hotel. The Jacobs spent more than $ 500,000 to seat Mr. Greene, Matt Willhite and Mayor Bob Margolis, all whom opposed the project.

The three killed the project by revoking approvals granted by the previous council. Mr. Bellissimo sued. The council then reached a settlement that called for him to hold off on litigation and come back with new proposals.

Mr. Bellissimo and his tean spent 100 hours working with staff on the new applications. Staff and the village's traffic engineer recommended the turning lane for safety reasons, and Mr. Bellissimo agreed to pay the cost.

Ms. Gerwig said she voted against the resolutions because she believes the turning lane is necessary. " To me it just doesn't look like a safe situation," she said. " I couldn't support the project without that." She noted that the recommendations would have made if safer for vendors and horse trailers that would primarily use the Pierson Road entrance.

The Jacobs didn't get everything they wanted. The council instructed staff to study traffic once the events begin, and to revisit the turning lane if necessary. The council also  did not eliminate all left turns on Pierson Road.

Still, the concessions they did get will benefit only the Jacobs family. The rest of Wellington loses.

Rhonda Swan 

for The Post Editorial Board

rswan@pbpost.com

An Open Letter To Councilman Willhite

Councilman Willhite:

I write this as an individual, shocked by what I saw at the Council meeting.

Of all the Council members, it is most surprising to see you, a PBC firefighter and Station Captain, vote for politics over human and horse safety.  During your career, you have seen the devastating injuries that car accidents inflict on the human body, and you may have witnessed what an accident between a horse and a car can do as well.

Yet after the Village Council traffic engineer, ESP’s traffic engineer, and even Bellissimo adversary Victoria McCullough, all directly testified that a dedicated left turn lane was safer and a lack of that lane presented safety concerns, you still impeded constructing a safe left turn lane on Pierson Road into the Global Dressage Village equestrian complex.

Although citizen after citizen told of being forced into making U-turns in horse rigs  at one of the most dangerous intersections in Wellington, the  Players Club intersection, and after others testified they had to make U-turns in the school yard, and some testified they had to drive north on South Shore to Forest Hill, east on Forest Hill to Stribling, right on Stribling to Pierson and then down Pierson to take a left turn out of the GDV, you still steamrolled Jacobs’ political agenda over the safety of human and horse life.

While I have disagreed with you on many political issues, never in my wildest imagination did I think a fire fighter, a professional who has witnessed firsthand the devastating injury done when machine and fragile human collide, and machine and helpless animal collide, you elected personal political power over your duty to the safety of the very community that elected you. Every accident that occurs going forward should list “Cause of Accident:  Village Council, led by Captain Matt Willhite’s battle against constructing a safe turn lane.”

Whatever your politics, your duty and allegiance to serve and protect the community that elected you, has been shamefully compromised by your unconscionable alliance to the Jacobs’ agenda.

This is more than a horse issue. Children on the west side of Wellington have to ride their bikes in the road to get to Pierson Park as there are no sidewalks there, for the same reason you blocked the safe turn lane – the Jacobs’ agenda to stop anything on their driveway, Pierson Road. The Jacobs stopped the sidewalks and now they stopped the safe turn lanes. Every other direction has sidewalks to Pierson Park, except the route pass the Jacobs’ estate.

It will be a sad personal day when it dawns on you that Matt Willhite, a man whose civil service career is built around the sanctity of, and protection of life, sold out human and animal safety for personal political gain. Matt, you threw us to the wolves.

Victor Connor

Wellington, FL

Palm Beach Post Article

Wellington Village Moves Forward - But With One major Sticking point

BY MITRA MALEK - PALM BEACH POST STAFF WRITER

WELLINGTON, October 25th 2013 — 

The Village Council late Thursday approved two resolutions that would finish the Equestrian Village project — but one of them was altered so much the developer’s attorney basically said the plan would fall apart.

“This thing is so chopped up it’s unworkable,” said Dan Rosenbaum, an attorney for Mark Bellissimo, who also heads the Winter Equestrian Festival. “This was hundreds of thousands of dollars of planning. You can’t run a business like that.”

After the votes were taken, though, and Bellissimo and his team were clearly flustered and somewhat confused on the votes, the council said it could reconsider the votes at its next meeting on Nov. 12.

In the meantime the resolutions would be rewritten with the myriad changes the council made Thursday and given to Bellissimo’s team and Wellington staff so they could make sense of them.

This past summer, in an attempt to put an end to litigation over the $80 million dressage complex, Wellington and Bellissimo came to a negotiated settlement in an attempt to move the project forward.

Since then, Bellissimo’s team and Wellington staff apparently spent more than 100 hours working on the two resolutions that were back before the council after the board had revoked them last year because the developer missed a deadline.

The most controversial alteration to the proposed resolutions was a secondary entrance on Pierson Road.

The Jacobs family, through its attorney, argued that moving the Pierson Road entrance farther east and widening the road to allow for a left-turn lane was a bad idea.

The billionaire family owns a several-hundred acre farm on Pierson Road, a few miles from the 59-acre site at the northeast corner of South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road.

The entrance, if widened, would have to be moved farther east to meet safety standards.

Bellissimo’s team predicted that 75 percent of traffic would use the South Shore entrance during the week, and 83 percent would use it during peak events. Pierson Road, with far less traffic, would be used mainly for vendors and trailers.

Another one of the amended resolutions makes South Shore the primary entrance — but still allows for left-hand turns from Pierson Road into the site.

“That’s where the majority of the traffic is already collecting,” said Councilman Matt Willhite.

Staff plans to study traffic patterns into the two entrances and from there determine if the original plan for building a left-turn lane is necessary.

Meanwhile, Wellington’s traffic engineer Andrea Troutman had said it is “essential” to have two access points.

“It’s almost imperative to add that stacking lane for safety reasons,” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said. She was the only council member to vote against one of the resolutions.

Bellissimo said the Jacobs family was holding far too much sway in the debate, and before the vote said he didn’t intend to budge on the entrance.

Wellington’s traffic engineer said the second entrance is necessary, and his team would pay for it, Bellissimo argued.

Councilman John Greene said the Jacobses might be the only people publicly fighting the entrance, but there are others who don’t like it.

“There’s a lot of people who are concerned about that,” Greene said. “I’ve gotten phone calls … I’m trying to prevent further litigation.”

The new plan, whose soaring covered arena is already built, calls for a 14,600-square-foot banquet hall with a kitchen and bathrooms, temporary stalls and a two-story, open-air tiki hut. Hours of operation can only be between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. — except one night a week that would be limited to Friday, Saturday or Sunday. On that night, the complex can stay open until 11 p.m.

Palm Beach Post Speaks Out For GDF

The Jacobs are getting slammed from all corners for their hazardous traffic demands. Below is an editorial from the Palm Beach Post.    

=======================================

Palm Beach Post Editorial: Approve Bellissimo’s applications and end the Wellington Horse War.

Posted: 8:24 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, 2013

Email Facebook Twitter ShareThis 

BY RHONDA SWAN - PALM BEACH POST STAFF WRITER

Wellington’s council could end one of the most contentious periods in the village’s history tonight by giving final approval to developer Mark Bellissimo’s dressage complex in the equestrian preserve. The billionaire Jacobs family, though, has asked for changes that some horse owners say will inconvenience them for no good reason.

The council will consider two applications from Mr. Bellissimo that would allow him to hold equestrian events year-round in his facility at Pierson Road and South Shore Boulevard. The applications are the culmination of four months of discussions between Mr. Bellissimo’s team and village staff since the council approved a settlement in June that put the developer’s lawsuits against the village on hold while he pursued the new approvals.

Mr. Bellissimo sued Wellington after Mayor Bob Margolis and councilors John Greene and Matt Wilhite voted to revoke, on a technicality, permits he received from a previous council to operate dressage. The three campaigned in 2012 against the developer’s plans to build an $80 million commercial equestrian village with a hotel, but supported the dressage component. The Jacobs family, which owns an estate near the equestrian site, opposed the project and spent more than $500,000 to support Messrs. Margolis, Greene and Wilhite.

The new plan does not include any of the commercial aspects residents found objectionable. The Planning Zoning and Advisory Board has approved the applications, as has the Equestrian Preserve Committee. Village staff has recommended that the council approve the applications, with requirements that include Mr. Bellissimo paying for a westbound left turning lane on Pierson Road.

Members of the Jacobs family object to the turning lane and want South Shore Boulevard designated as the primary entrance to the site. They also do not want left turning lanes on the eastbound side of the road.

“They don’t want to expand the two-lane road,” said Mat Forrest, executive director of the Wellington Equestrian Preservation Alliance and a local spokesman for the Jacobs family. “It’s a rural equestrian area. It’s against what most people in the equestrian preserve want.”

While the Jacobses approve of Mr. Bellissimos’ plans, Mr. Forrest said, expanding the road to add the turning lane would lead to more traffic. He admits, though, that a traffic study by Mr. Bellissimo’s team says only about 7 percent of cars would use Pierson Road.

Planning and Development Services Director Tim Stillings said staff recommended the turning lane, to alleviate traffic on South Shore Boulevard. Mr. Bellissimo said it would be cheaper for him to not pay for the turning lane, but he is willing to do so for safety.

Equestrians who live in the area say not being able to turn left from Pierson would force them to bring their horse trailers a significant distance from the property to make a U-turn to gain access, which would be difficult and unnecessary.

It’s hard to see the Jacobs’ family request as anything other than an attempt to keep traffic off Pierson Road and as far as possible from their estate. That’s not a good reason for the council to go against staff recommendations. The council should approve the applications and finally end this horse saga.

Rhonda Swan

A Letter Of Support For GDF

TO:  Wellington Village Council

My name is Bob Bushey and I live at 2874 Polo Island Dr., just across from the new Equestrian Village.  Having lived through one season of Dressage activities, my wife and I are all in favor of it continuing.  We never noticed any smell, noise, or dust coming from those activities and we loved watching the horses perform. We bought on this street in 1991 so that we could enjoy the horse sports and were very disappointed to see the Polo Stadium destroyed.  We are now anxious to see the Equestrian Village completed and in full operation.

In my opinion a Dressage Event is about as much of a NON Event as you can have.  Several of my neighbors, whose property directly abuts the show grounds, never even knew a show was going on until I mentioned it to them.  We not only watched it from our street, but we attended on the show grounds. Needless to say we enjoyed it immensely without any complaints or problems.

The only problem I noted was the dangerous situation caused by the closing of the Pierson Road entrance. I witnessed horses actually being ridden down the sidewalk on Southshore to go in the other entrance. This was very frightening and I cant believe that the Village let one family dictate this restriction.  The Pierson Road entrance needs to be open and there needs to be a horse crosswalk from the trail on the South side. 

I've seen a lot of traffic studies floating around.  Did anyone ever think to do an actual study while a show was going on???  I was in and out of the area all of the time and the traffic impact was minimal at best.

My only hope is that the entire Council did their due diligence and attended at least one of the Dressage events.  If you did, I'm sure you will know what I mean by a non event. The exhibitors perform one at a time, there are no big crowds, and it's just slow moving and easy going. So what is the problem??  Or is there a problem other than one family wanting to control traffic in front of their palatial estate?? 

The Equestrian Village will return lots of money to the Village coffers and give it much prestige throughout the Equestrian World.  Will the Jacob's family do that for the Village?? What happens to this parcel if this project isn't approved?  Does it sit barren again? What a waste.

Stop the lawsuits that are sucking up our tax dollars! Do the right thing and approve the Equestrian Village for the good of all of the Wellington residents.

Robert M. Bushey

Lt. Col. USAF retired 

Critical Meeting Of The Wellington Council

OCTOBER 22, 2013, 7:00

WELLINGTON VILLAGE HALL

12300 FOREST HILL BLVD

You are urged to attend this meeting at which decisions will be made on:

1. The Equestrian Village project. 

The Council will be voting on whether or not the existing equestrian venue (dressage and derby) will be granted a permanent approval for year-round use. This venue is entering its third year of operation with no problems. The council revoked its approvals in 2012 and litigation ensued. An approval of the project without unreasonable conditions will settle the litigation.  If approvals are granted, then the venue will be made available to charities 30 days annually. 

2. World Equestrian Games. 

The Council will decide if they will support the efforts of Equestrian Sport Productions to host the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) sanctioned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale. WEG would bring an estimated $250 million into the local economy.  Attached is information about WEG.

The public will be allowed to speak at the meeting as well as submit comment cards that are read aloud. 

The past 18 months have seen a lot of animosity and divisiveness in the Village. There are signs from many involved that conciliation is possible through these two issues. 

You are encouraged to attend the meeting and express your support for these two items and for all parties to work together for the benefit of Wellington.

If you are out of town and cannot attend the meeting you can e-mail the Mayor and Council Members at:

Bob Margolis: Rmargolis@wellingtonfl.gov

Cc:                   Rachelc@wellingtonfl.gov

                        Kadler@wellingtonfl.gov

The agenda is available to view at:

 www.wellingtonfl.gov/government/agendas.html

Letter From an Resident Equestrian Trainer

Dear Mayor and Members of the Council:

I have come to understand that there are grave public concerns over horse trailer traffic in Wellington, and its detrimental effects on the quality of life of Wellington citizens.  As the Council prepares to vote on a proposed restriction of these menacing vehicles from use of the Pierson Road entrance to the Global Dressage Festival grounds, I would like to suggest a longer-term and more forward-thinking approach to this public hazard.

First, horse trailer traffic should be banned from Pierson Road east of South Shore entirely.  This is apparently the greatest immediate public danger.  To prevent horse trailer traffic from impeding the public roadway between South Shore and 120th Street, I propose that the Council not only deny approval to the Global Dressage grounds' use of Pierson Road, but also revoke access to Palm Beach Equine Clinic and Sports Complex, the International Polo Club, and the few private farms and properties that may from time to time attempt to use the roadway for horse trailer traffic.  This way Pierson Road would remain the pristine passenger-car-only thoroughfare that it is now, and the action would be in keeping with the Council's considerations of the Global Dressage Festival's attempts to overrun the street with thousands of trucks and trailers.  

Second, restricting all horse trailer use of Pierson Road would create an effective damper on overcrowding at the Global Dressage Festival.  Once competitors discover the hassle of driving their horse trailers across the show grounds, making an unwieldy S-curve through spectator traffic, and exiting onto South Shore in only the north direction, requiring a 1.7-mile trek through neighborhoods in order to go south toward many of the dressage farms, I think that many will opt to compete elsewhere.  This is beneficial because too many entries at the dressage shows will obviously cause a public nuisance and might one day even draw spectators.  In fact, it has been reported that non-horse-owning members of the Wellington community have actually come to the show grounds to observe the Dressage horses.  This sort of activity is unprecedented and should be quashed before throngs of spectators arrive and endanger the quiet, private equestrian lifestyle that Wellington was meant to foster.  It has also been observed that spectators may sometimes even trample portions of the green grassy areas that we Wellingtonians cherish.

Third, the Council should consider banning horse trailer traffic from the Global Dressage Festival grounds altogether.  Competitors may park in the empty lot at the southwest corner of South Shore and Greenview Shores, and walk their horses and equipment the short distance to the show grounds.  This would prevent the inevitable traffic snarls that would otherwise plague Pierson Road near South Shore and interfere with the highly important passenger vehicles that rely on that stretch of roadway for an open shot to South Shore for any urgent needs that may arise at any time.  Parking all the horse trailers at Greenview Shores and South Shore would only affect the less-important passenger vehicles that travel in those areas, similar to the plan to send all exiting horse trailers around those neighborhoods in order to go south on South Shore.  Frankly, it is not so much more inconvenient to require competitors to trek in on foot than to herd them all the way through the grounds anyway.

I hope that you will consider my proposal for a safer and saner Wellington, in keeping with this Council's previous actions, and looking forward to a quieter, more elite equestrian season.  I am confident that, on this trajectory, we can return Wellington to a quiet bedroom community that tolerates only those tasteful, wealthiest seasonal equestrians who know how to operate an appropriate show grounds.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Amy Bock

HighBar Farm, LLC

Tuesday, October 22nd 2013 Wellington Council Meeting

Yet another reason to attend the Wellington Council meeting on Tuesday night, 7:00 p.m., October 22nd 2013

Attached is a letter from the Jacobs attorney to the Village council. The Jacob family are demanding that horse trailers and other vehicles be prohibited from using Pierson Road as an entry/exit from the GDF Venue. 

This demand was enforced by the village council for this year's GDF and created hazards for horse trailer traffic and great inconvenience for our community. 

Let the council know that you do not want them to enforce the selfish and punitive demands of the Jacobs. 

Attend the Tuesday night Council meeting and speak or submit a comment card ! 

Wellington Chamber of Commerce Supports the Equestrian Community

October 17, 2013 Dear Chamber Member, Wellington needs your help. The Wellington Chamber needs your help. The Wellington economy needs your help. As many of you are aware, the major engine of Wellington's economy is the unique position Wellington plays in the national and international equestrian community.   Whether you work in Wellington or own a business in Wellington, we all benefit from the influx of equestrians and their checkbooks every year from November to April. In addition to the influx of seasonal visitors, many have now established second homes here, which have helped to raise everyone's real estate values. The impact of the equestrian community is beneficial to all - from A1 Moving and Storage, to Dunkin Donuts to Ultra Cleaners. When you hear the name Wimbledon, you think of tennis. When you hear Pebble Beach you think of the US Open Golf tournament. Major sporting events bring major economic benefit to their host communities. Worldwide, when you say Wellington, it is known for its equestrian season. Well, we need your help to keep this engine running. On this upcoming Tuesday night, the Village Council will vote on whether to approve the once already approved Equestrian Village and Equestrian Master Plan. This last year saw the new Council "unapprove" the Equestrian Village and Equestrian Master Plan which had been already approved and built. The result of this unprecedented action, over the last year, the Village has spent literally millions of dollars of Wellington tax payer money fighting a battle that never needed to be fought. This upcoming Tuesday evening at 7 pm, the Village Council will make its final determining vote. The Equestrian Village and Master Plan has already passed and been approved by the Equestrian Preservation Committee and the Planning Zoning and Adjustment Board. It is crucial that the Wellington residents be heard on this issue. As we hear from you, our members, there is overwhelming support for this to pass. Please contact the Council members to support this project and it would be very helpful for you to attend Tuesday nights Village Council meeting.   Thank you. Victor Connor President Wellington Chamber of Commerce

Important Council Meeting on Tuesday, October 22nd 2013

On October 22, 2013 the Wellington Village Council will be considering two projects that will help the community in general and specifically non-profits. Wellington Equestrian Partners, which is responsible for the FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge, will have two items before the Council that will define the future of Equestrian Sport in Wellington. And it will also determine the availability of a world-class equestrian venue to local non-profits.

1. The Equestrian Village project. The Council will be voting on whether or not the existing equestrian venue (dressage and derby) will be allowed to remain. This venue is entering its third year of operation with no problems. But the council revoked its approvals in 2012 and litigation ensued that has cost the village $2,700 a day, on average, in legal expenditures.  An approval of the project will settle the litigation and the venue will be made available to non-profits at least 30 days annually. 

2. Supporting the efforts of Equestrian Sport Productions to host the 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) sanctioned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale. WEG would bring an estimated $250 million into the local economy.  

The public will be allowed to speak at the meetings as well as submit comment cards that are read aloud. 

E-mails can be sent to Mayor Bob Margolis and Council members at:

Bob Margolis:    Rmargolis@wellingtonfl.gov

CC:                   Rachelc@wellingtonfl.gov.

The Council meeting agenda should be available to view by Thursday, October 17th 2013

at: www.wellingtonfl.gov/government/agendas.html

For additional information you can contact us at equestrian.forum@live.com 

Thank you on behalf of the Forum Board members.