Global Equestrian Group Hopes to Expand, Bellissimo is Not Selling...Yet

Dressage

U.S.A

Global Equestrian Group (GEG) has published a letter asking support from the Wellington community to agree to Mark Bellissimo's rezoning request for residential and commercial development on land in the Wellington Equestrian Preserve.

Only then GEG gets to buy the land on which it wants to expand the showgrounds to a 180-acre site.

Contingency Plan

The Helgstrand powered GEG has owned and operated the show jumping grounds for the past two years under the banner "Wellington International" and leased the show dates (not the land) to host dressage, currently at the Global Dressage Festival grounds.

GEG wants to acquire 90 acres (Parcel F) to the South of the existing showgrounds and states it has "an agreement" with the owner, Mark Bellissimo and his business partners.

"We recognize the need to dramatically expand and enhance the showgrounds to incorporate it onto one large, consolidated site to better support all three horse disciplines--Jumpers, Hunters and Dressage," stated the press release underwritten by president Michael Stone. "In order to expand the showgrounds onto Parcel F, a land use change is required. The agreement is contingent upon changing the current zoning from Residential to Equestrian Commercial Recreation. This change will ensure that the land is kept for Equestrian Showgrounds rather than more residential development in the Equestrian Preserve."

Equestrian (?) Lifestyle Community

Stone continues, "the zoning change we need is currently part of the larger application before the Village of Wellington relating to the Wellington North and South developments that Wellington Lifestyle Partners is leading to create a complementary equestrian lifestyle community."

This equestrian lifestyle community Stone refers to is in fact a golf and not a horse community Bellissimo is aiming to develop and sell.

Bellissimo's master plan titled "The Wellington" aims at building two luxury communities in its equestrian preserve, including on 96 acres within it that are now protected from development. Wellington North, at South Shore Boulevard and Pierson Road (Global Dressage Festival grounds), would include 272 low-rise, luxury condominiums and 28 single-family homes. Wellington South, at South Shore and Lake Worth Road, would feature 148 homes, 143 of them villas on quarter- and half-acre lots and five of them farms of more than 4 acres.

Architect of Big Sport Stadium

Stone boasts it has hired Populous is the official architect to plan, design and create the new showgrounds, even though they not yet own the land on which they dream to build.

"Populous is a global architecture and design firm with extensive expertise building venues for Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, professional stadiums, arenas, ballparks, and collegiate facilities as well as equestrian facilities including the Ascot Racecourse, Churchill Downs and the equestrian venue for the London Olympics."

Stone further stated, "the three horse sports are all important businesses with Hunter Jumpers marshalling up to 3,000 horses per week, and Dressage fielding 300 horses per week – yet each sport business is very different in terms of size, scale, and profitability."

According to GEG, not dressage but show jumping will move to newly built facilities. "We will welcome the jumpers to the new facility and the hunters and dressage to the re-imagined Wellington International facilities upon completion," said Stone. Quiet dressage will then take place adjacent to the busiest discipline of all in Wellington, hunter jumper.

Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee Says No

In June the Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee (EPC) voted 7-0 to deny Mark Bellissimo's 4.0 proposal to take land out of the preserve and build a luxury golf community near and on the horse show grounds.

For Bellissimo to go through with his building plans he needs to get planning permission and conversions of zoning areas first from the Equestrian Preserve Committee (EPC), who advises the Wellington Planning Zoning and Adjustment Board, who then sends their recommendations to the Village Council. To remove land from the Preserve requires 4 of 5 votes on the Council.

Bellissimo's project will go before the Village Planning and Zoning Board on 19 and 20 July 2022. The village council also must approve the request, a Council vote that is scheduled for the end of the summer.