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
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