In a last-minute attempt to save Equestrian Village as a dressage venue in Wellington, Fla., a fund-raising effort has brought in commitments of $25 million.
The Village Council could vote Wednesday on removing the property from the Equestrian Preserve, which would clear the way for construction of housing and recreational amenities for a golf community that developer Wellington Lifestyle Partners is seeking to build. A petition opposing the move drew more than 8,000 signatures and a group called “Keep Wellington Green” is fighting to keep the 96-plus acres in the Preserve.
Dressage rider Arlene “Tuny” Page, who owns a farm in Wellington, said Monday that she started contacting people to see if enough money was available to make an offer for the property, home of the Global Dressage Festival since 2012.
Tuny and Dave Page were first founding sponsors of the Global Dressage Festival. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The response was immediately positive.
The land to be purchased would include the area where Global’s arenas and a derby jumping field are located, but not the adjacent White Birch polo fields which are also in the Preserve and slated for a golf clubhouse and other golf-related facilities for a nearby course purchased by WLP.
“Go talk about it and see what you can do,” Jane Cleveland, chair of the Equestrian Preserve Committee, had urged Page when they discussed the possibility of a purchase.
Cleveland’s committee in June voted unanimously against taking the land out of the Preserve. The Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board also recommended against it. Both those committees are only advisory panels, however. It is the five-member Council that has the final word, which comes with a second reading of the ordinance. That process began at a meeting last month and continues this week.
On first reading last year of an ordinance that would permit removing the land from the Preserve, the council voted 4-1 in favor. In order to take acreage out of the preserve, the law requires four of the five council members to vote for it. There have been more than 55 hours of hearings in the last seven months on Wellington North and WLP’s Wellington South proposed development, a short distance away, where the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival hunter/jumper show is located.
In a letter to the Council, Page stated, “I represent an investor group that would like to purchase Equestrian Village to preserve it and enhance it as a multi-use equestrian facility.”
The group includes original investors and founders of the Global Dressage Festival, as well as Robin Parsky, the owner of international show jumping horses who spoke last month before the Council about the importance of the derby field. Among the others are Antonia Ax:son Johnson, a prominent sponsor in the sport and the owner of Olympic dressage horses; Olympic dressage horse owner, Betsy Juliano, and Victoria McCullough, a landowner on property adjoining the Wellington South project.
Robin Parsky spoke before the Wellington Village Council last month about the importance of the derby field at Global.
In her letter, Page mentioned that at a recent meeting with Councilman John McGovern “he stated that the concern of the council is that there is no other group to purchase and operate the property. In less than 48 hours, we have obtained financial commitments for equity and a modest amount of debt of 25 million dollars.”
Page believes that is just “the tip of the iceberg” and that more can easily be raised if necessary. Big checks–$500,000 and $1 million–have been committed, she said. Those who want to contribute may contact her via email at tunefull12@icloud.com.
“There was an indication that the council needed assurance of financial commitments as in `show us the money’ and here we are with many more under consideration,” Page wrote. Her husband, David Page, was able to secure a commitment for loans if necessary from two major financial institutions.
She asked the council to “pause” its consideration of the developments “until you understand the option we put before you, citing is as an opportunity to respect the Preserve and its passionate supporters.”
The derby grounds at Global used by hunters and jumpers. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Of course, in order for the plan to work, the owner would have to agree to sell. WLP also wants to build a “town center” nearby that would have shopping, offices and a hotel, but that is not part of the Wellington North plan and is not in the Preserve.
Page contended that removing the land for Wellington North from the Preserve would “set a terrible precedent” that could continue with more land being taken out elsewhere along the 9,000 acres of the Preserve that stretches across Wellington.
A crowd always turns out for the Friday night freestyle at Global. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Meanwhile, there is a discussion of turning the facility into a non-profit.
“We want it to be a community-friendly plan,” Page said, suggesting it could be a place where young people could learn about horses.
There has been talk of another entity buying the WEF showgrounds on the South parcel, Wellington International, as its owner, Waterland Private Equity, has put it up for sale.
The WEF showgrounds need to be improved and enhanced with more acreage, but no one has stepped up to buy it. The land needed to expand that venue was tied to approval of Wellington North, as necessary acreage on Wellington South has the same ownership. Housing is also planned for part of Wellington South, but there has been no opposition movement to that.
