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WELLINGTON, Fla., February 29, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Miami-based Platinum Luxury Auctions has announced its tenth luxury auction^® offering in the village of Wellington, Florida. On March 9, the veteran luxury real estate auction house will offer a pair of 5-acre parcels in a live auction wherein the highest bidder shall prevail regardless of price. The parcels were previously listed for $4.5 million collectively, before the seller retained Platinum to exclusively manage the no-reserve auction sale.

"Since our first Wellington sale in 2013, we’ve consistently delivered a global audience of buyers to the marketplace who are in search of special or unique equestrian properties and horse farms," said Trayor Lesnock, Platinum’s founder and president. "Our March 9 offering is a working horse farm with tremendous upside potential, and it’s located within hacking distance to WEF grounds."

A property’s proximity to the grounds of Wellington’s Winter Equestrian Festival (or "WEF") is a critical component of its value, Lesnock added. The two parcels are within a 15-20-min "hack" – a term used to describe the non-competitive riding of a horse, usually at a gentle pace – of the WEF complex.

The two-parcel assemblage is within the Rustic Ranches subdivision, a small development of 5-to-10-acre ranches and horse farms, along with a handful of residential estates. The community enjoys city water service while being free of the excess restrictions of a homeowners’ association.

The parcels sit side-by-side, east-to-west. The eastern parcel measures approx. 5 acres, and hosts a range of equestrian amenities, including a 150-ft by 250-ft riding arena, 8 paddocks, 2 barns offering 18 total stalls, a round pen, storage sheds, and grooming/wash stalls. There is also a charming cottage with 2 beds and 2 baths.

The western parcel is slightly larger, at 5.26 acres, and it includes a recently renovated residence. The single-story home has 3 beds, 2 baths and a 2-vehicle garage. The roof is new as of 2022, and interiors are spacious and filled with light. Each parcel also has a small pond.

While Lesnock speculated that it’s likely buyers will want to buy both parcels together in order to have a +10-acre assemblage with additional room for development, the parcels could also be sold individually. "It’s common in these types of offerings that we have the bidders specify their purchase preference in advance, so that we may then tailor the auction offering to their given preference." For example, if 10 bidders register for the auction, and 8 of those bidders specify they would only like to buy the eastern parcel - instead of both parcels - the eastern parcel would be offered and sold individually.

WELLINGTON, Fla. — The Wellington council approved a rezoning change Thursday night that would allow developers to build homes on the current equestrian showgrounds and build a new showground facility in the south of the village.

The meeting concluded just before 11:30 p.m.

The village council made the decision after a group of developers, led by Wellington Lifestyle Partners, offered the village 59 acres of green space land at Thursday night's meeting. The new offer was an increase from the 50 acres originally offered.

However, three council members approving the project indicated they needed more information to give the final approval during a different meeting.

Councilman Michael Drahos said he believed the exchange was a good deal because it would guarantee the sport's future in Wellington while gaining land.

"We don't own the land that we’re all here talking about," Drahos said. "It's owned by a private entity."

Wellington Lifestyle Partners, who is the applicant, argued a new facility, a stadium and additional showgrounds are needed to compete with other areas like Ocala. The change would take 96 acres out of the Equestrian Preserve Area, which reserves land for equestrian-related activities.

"The status quo isn't an option," Douglas McMahon, the manager of Wellington Lifestyle Partners, said.

According to state documents, Mark Bellissimo was the manager of Wellington Lifestyle Partners until he was removed as a manager in September 2023.

Paige Bellissimo-Nunez is listed as an executive vice president for Wellington Lifestyle Partners, according to her LinkedIn.

State documents also show Mark Bellissimo owns different companies that are part of the project.

Multiple people against the project criticized both Bellissimo and the complex ownership structure throughout the three days of comments.

Michael J. Napoleone, who is also a council member, said he wasn't comfortable giving the applicant full approval because he didn't understand the ownership structure of the applicant. He also said he had questions about the type of horse show the community would receive if it received approval.

Village staff said the next step is council and the applicant setting up an additional date for a second reading.

Councilwoman Tanya Siskind said she was giving approval on Thursday night because there was no consequence at this time. However, she indicated she wanted to see additional conversation and possible changes.

Those council members asked direct and pointed questions of the applicant for almost three hours on Thursday night.

Councilman John T. McGovern, who asked the most questions, was visibly frustrated with the applicant not giving direct answers various times throughout the night. He also voted to approve the first reading, but said he needed more details to approve the project at the second reading.

"We've gone a long way," McGovern said. "But I believe there's more way to go."

McGovern said he doesn't believe traffic concerns have been addressed by the applicant. He also said he had concerns about the zoning, density and conditions the village put on the applicant to not build homes before certain construction is complete.

"If they're not bulletproof," McGovern said, "I'm a no at second reading."

He also said he believes additional conditions need to be added to the land swap offered by the applicant.

"I don't want land and a tax bill on the residents to build it," McGovern said, 'so, that's gotta get worked out."

Wellington Mayor Anna Gerwig, who publicly expressed her vote after three council members moved the project forward, said the equestrian element makes Wellington unique from other cities.

She is concerned conditions aren't enforceable on the development as they are currently written, but she thinks they could change in future conversations.

No date has been set for a second reading on the project.

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Four marathon days of testimony and public comment finally came to an end near midnight Wednesday, Feb. 7, when the Wellington (Florida) Village Council voted to approve zoning changes that will allow the Wellington International show grounds to expand and developers to build luxury homes on the current site of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. (You can watch an archived version of the meeting livestream here.)

The question before the council was whether to take a 96-acre parcel of land out of the village’s Equestrian Preserve and rezone it for residential development, while also rezoning 114 acres just south of the existing Wellington International grounds from residential to commercial equestrian use. Wellington Lifestyle Partners, the group behind the proposal, owns both parcels of land through various subsidiaries. The change will allow Wellington International to expand and host AGDF, as well as the hunter/jumper classes that are currently held on the derby field at Equestrian Village, on one contiguous piece of property.

The five-member council voted unanimously in favor of the changes involving the parcel that will be used to expand the show grounds; one member, Wellington Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone, voted against the changes involving the Equestrian Village parcel that would remove land from the Equestrian Preserve. Four votes are required for approval.

The meetings, which totaled almost 22 hours of testimony over four days, featured scores of Wellington residents speaking for and against the proposal. Nearby residents had concerns about traffic and construction; those farther away worried that taking land out of the Equestrian Preserve will be the first step on a slippery slope that could change the entire horse-centric nature of the community, and that the proposed facilities on the expanded show grounds might never be built, or not built to be comparable to what currently exists at Equestrian Village.

Many of those who compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival spoke in favor of WLP’s plan, testifying that the current Wellington International grounds—which are for sale—need updating and aren’t on par with facilities like the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. Olympic show jumpers Rodrigo Pessoa and Nayel Nassar and Olympic dressage riders Ashley Holzer and Jacquie Brooks testified in favor of expanding the show grounds, as did Murray Kessler, former president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, show organizer Andrew Philbrick and trainer Michael Dignelli.

“Part of this process is that, as the village council, if these are the decisions that we are elected to make, we take into account all parts of the community,” said Mayor Anne Gerwig before the council members took their votes. “We are not able to focus in on a sliver; we have to look at this very holistically, and decide if this is good for this community or not. This one’s quite complex—I will tell you, that’s the most complex thing that I’ve seen in 14 years [on the council]. So it’s not a simple process. I understand that everyone is very passionate about it, but we are here to make a decision for the long-term good of the community. That includes the tax base, as basic as that might sound, but it’s important. That includes the horse show being able to operate into the future.

“I think that’s why we’ve gone to this length is because of the severity of the situation; it’s not a simple decision. So I have to say, I’m a little put off by people saying that we ‘didn’t listen’ because we didn’t do what they said. We have listened, we’ve been attentive, we have taken into account every comment that has been made, we have read every email,” she continued. “But that doesn’t mean we’re going to agree with anyone in the room, for that matter. So I just want you to understand the deliberation that we are doing is meaningful. It is difficult. This [has] definitely been a laborious process for a reason.”

“I said [in a previous meeting] that I believe it’s the council’s job to save the equestrian industry from its own self-destruction,” said Councilman Michael Drahos. “That comment has been reiterated and repeated on social media, and perhaps the message I was trying to convey got lost in the emotion. We have the benefit sitting up here as your elected leaders to make decisions which we think are in the best interest of the entire community without being hindered by the emotion of that decision. And, you know, having sat here for the multiple days that I have, and listening to everybody—both in this chambers and outside and [reading] all the emails—there’s no question in my mind that some of the opposition of this project is motivated by the emotion of it.

“There was a comment made by one of the interested parties, which I really agree with,” Drahos continued. “He said, ‘This is a no-look-back moment for Wellington.’ One hundred percent agree. It’s now or never for the equestrian industry in Wellington. This is the moment that we have to make this vote, as difficult as it will be, in order to ensure your long-term survival. And it is made without the benefit of emotion; it’s made logic-based, after months and months and months and volumes of paper and meetings and negotiations back and forth, late into the hours. No one can say that this council has not done everything we possibly can to make the most educated decision for the long term survival of the community.”

Both Drahos and Gerwig are at the ends of their terms on the council, and their replacements will be elected in March. Councilman John McGovern, who has two years left on his current council term, spoke about the council’s long history with proposed developments and improvements to horse show grounds.

“I believe that this is, as the mayor said at the beginning of all of our comments, the toughest vote that I might ever cast anywhere, ever. And I think that that’s a good thing. I think that the things that are really big, the things that are really meaningful, the things that can change a community for the better forever should be hard,” he said. “I’d be lying to you, if I didn’t tell you that it scares me, the risk of getting this wrong. But it scares me even more to kick the can down the road and not make absolutely sure that we have taken a process that has worked and made it better, and then polished it further and then demanded more.

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“I believe that the equestrian preserve for perpetuity will be east of South Shore [Boulevard] and south of Pierson [Road]; let it ring forth from here that Pierson is a hard line,” he continued. “And if we need to, if the wisdom of the [incoming] council is that we want to change and make it even harder to take land out in the future and switch it to a five-vote requirement to take land out, I’m fine with that too. But right now, today, for the future of our city, I cannot let the search for perfection be the enemy of good. And because of us, because of all of you, we have made this good.”

Napoleone was the sole vote against the proposed zoning changes that would remove the Equestrian Village parcel from the Equestrian Preserve and allow it to be developed.

“To me, the point of the [Equestrian Preserve] designation is to preserve the equestrian lifestyle and low-density or equestrian development. [It’s meant] for farms and equestrian activities. The project on the north doesn’t meet that criteria. It’s the opposite. It really has nothing to do with equestrians,” he said. “What we’re really doing is being asked to grant development rights that don’t exist; those rights will make that land exponentially more valuable. And when we grant those rights, WLP wants to build an expansive private residential resort club community, in the heart of Wellington, and to me and to many others I’ve spoken with, that’s not what Wellington is, and that’s not what we want Wellington to become. We’re not a vacation resort destination. Wellington is a family community based on great schools, great parks and recreation that coexist alongside a thriving equestrian community and top level riders living and competing here.”

In a late development, a group of local property owners sent a letter to the council on Feb. 5, two days before the meeting, saying that they were offering $25 million to purchase the 96-acre parcel currently in the Equestrian Preserve and intended to continue using it for horse shows.

Robin Parsky, who had spoken against the zoning changes and proposed development at a previous meeting, spoke at the Tuesday meeting about the offer. But the group, which also included Victoria McCullough, Scott Swerdlin, Beth Johnson, Terri Kane, Betsy Juliano, and Dave and Arlene “Tuny” Page, had not communicated with WLP. Doug McMahon, WLP’s CEO and managing partner, indicated the organization was not interested in selling.

[Editor’s note: Wellington International is owned by the Global Equestrian Group, which also owns The Chronicle of the Horse.]

The Village of Wellington, Florida, has earned its reputation as a premier community in South Florida. Known for its abundant parks, quality schools, attractive neighborhoods, and as the winter equestrian capital of the world, Wellington is home to a population of residents who want to protect and preserve their way of life.

“Wellington represents a small piece of Americana in the middle of South Florida,” said Liz Nunez, Wellington Public Information Officer. “It’s a great hometown.”

Nunez is responsible for managing a wide variety of public communications for Wellington, which is the fifth-largest municipality in Palm Beach County, with over 65,000 residents. Her ability to communicate critical news and instructions quickly is particularly crucial during South Florida’s annual Hurricane season. To help keep her citizens informed, Nunez needs effective tools and technology to ensure her critical messages reach as many citizens and staff members as possible. When Wellington realized it needed a more reliable solution, it chose the [CivicPlus Mass Notification System].”

We saw what CivicPlus was able to do for us with our website redesign, so we thought, why not work with CivicPlus on a refresh of our alert system too?

Liz Nunez

Wellington Public Information Officer

Before CivicPlus

Before switching to CivicPlus’ Mass Notification solution, Nunez used the CodeRED Alert System.

“Our previous system was very antiquated,” said Nunez. “It was difficult to use. In an emergency, we needed something that would allow us to get a message out quickly and in a coherent fashion. We also didn’t have control over our list of residents, which made managing our communications very difficult.”

After the Village of Wellington completed a redesign of its website with CivicPlus, Nunez was inspired to transition from CodeRED to CivicPlus.

“We saw what CivicPlus was able to do for us with our website redesign, so we thought, why not work with CivicPlus on a refresh of our alert system too?”

Switching from CodeRED to CivicPlus

Every technology transition requires a thorough strategy. For Nunez, the switch to CivicPlus was comfortingly streamlined.

“The transition was so simple and easy,” said Nunez. “Since we didn’t own our data with our previous software, I worried it would be difficult to, essentially, start over with a new system with no contacts, but [CivicPlus] was able to provide us with a contact list for our community’s residents. It was helpful not to start from scratch.”

In cases such as Wellington’s, where a municipality needs to begin building a resident database, CivicPlus leverages community utility databases, including billing and 911/MSAG lists, and purchased residential lists. With its foundation of new resident contact information, Wellington has been continually adding voluntary subscriptions.

“With [CivicPlus], it’s simple and easy to get residents to subscribe, especially with the text to sign up feature.”

Confident Hurricane and Disaster Preparedness with CivicPlus

To ensure its residents and administrative staff are prepared for hurricane season, the Village of Wellington holds an annual community-wide town hall meeting at the start of the season to provide educational reminders, evacuation instructions, and safety best practices.

“I encourage residents to sign up for alerts from [CivicPlus] to stay informed during hurricane season. Social media is important when communicating information publicly, but we have many residents who are not on social media, especially our seniors. What is valuable to us about [CivicPlus] is that it allows users to choose their communication preferences. Residents can choose text message alerts, messaging through the AlertMe app, or automated phone messages. The phone message functionality has been very well received and appreciated by residents, and particularly our seniors who want to ensure that they receive alerts even if they are in an area without Internet access.”

Wellington put the CivicPlus Mass Notification system to its first crucial test in November 2019 when Hurricane Dorian attacked South Florida.

“Fortunately, we were not directly affected by Hurricane Dorian,” said Nunez. “Disaster preparedness and communications are always our top priorities. We are committed to ensuring our residents feel prepared and ready to weather any storm. We want to always be proactive in our warnings, which is why we rely on [CivicPlus] to help us get people prepared.”

Routine and Internal Staff Communications

Much more than an emergency alert system, CivicPlus’ software includes internal staff collaboration functionality as well, such as conference bridge capabilities and real-time, two-way group messaging. The Village of Wellington is looking to fully leverage the system’s capabilities to help their departments collaborate and communicate effectively in both times of routine resident services and disaster response.

“We’re looking at how our Community Services and Parks and Recreation departments can use [the CivicPlus Mass Notification system],” said Nunez. “After seeing what the tool is doing for us during emergencies and how it’s helping us reach residents, we’re excited to look for ways these departments can use [CivicPlus] to set up unique contact lists and help facilitate day-to-day communications with staff and community volunteers.”

The Village of Wellington’s Human Resources Department is also looking to leverage CivicPlus’ Mass Notification system to communicate with staff during emergency events.

“[CivicPlus] is a wonderful internal communication tool. It could help our HR team during a local disaster to send urgent messages to employees, for example, if staff need to report to work after an event, or not report to work if there are closures or damage to buildings.”

The Need for Reliable Mass Communications in Government

For Nunez, in her critical role as a public communicator, there is extreme value in the software’s ability to issue one-to-many, multiple-channel communications managed from a single interface.

“We live in a world where, unfortunately, it’s not a question of if an emergency will happen, but when. Communities need to prepare, just like we tell our residents to prepare well before the storm. It’s critical to have a system you can rely on that will help you reach as many citizens as possible through as many channels as possible. Every municipality should have such a system.”

For Nunez, she feels confident knowing she has a reliable partner with CivicPlus.

“With CivicPlus…we know they have a long-standing track record of success with municipalities. We knew we could rely on them and trust them because they know what public organizations need, and they know how to deliver.”

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Entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo with Wellington Lifestyle Partners is looking at building two luxurious residential golf course communities on South Shore Boulevard, one north of Pierson Road and one south. (Wellington International)

WELLINGTON, Fla. (CBS12) — 'The Wellington' is one step closer to becoming a reality, after Wellington Village leaders voted in favor of the project during its first reading Thursday night.

Equestrians and non-equestrians alike filled chamber seats for a third and final meeting this week to discuss a set of massive development projects known as The Wellington North and South.

“Whether you’re for it or against it, it will affect how the rest of the community continues to exist going forward,” Wellington Village Manager Jim Barnes said.

There are two projects being considered at the same time, but the proposal is what some would describe as a give and take.

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

Entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo with Wellington Lifestyle Partners is looking at building two luxurious residential golf course communities on South Shore Boulevard, one north of Pierson Road and one south. But to do that, it calls for removing 96 acres from the protected equestrian preserve and changing permitted land use areas on both properties.

In return for village approval, the applicant promises to donate a 50-acre park, and before anything else, they would build new and improved horse showgrounds.

“It hasn’t been approved yet but there’s still a requirement that they build the expansion to the showgrounds prior to starting any residential development,” Barnes said.

Those opposing the project made their stance on the subject very clear, with many of them wearing red t-shirts that read, “Horses Not Houses.”

“Horses need land and land is under threat from development tonight,” Jane Cleveland, Wellington resident and member of the Equestrian Preserve Committee of Wellington, said. “We have other options here. The developers have made promises before and they have not met them so it’s sort of hard to believe them.”

The first few nights of the meeting, area residents were able to give their input on the project. Thursday’s meeting was more focused on ironing out kinks and answering questions before it went to a vote.

See also: Father in 'Boy in the Box' trial sentenced to five years in prison

The showgrounds application isn’t up for a vote at this time, but it arguably makes all the difference in how village leaders are looking at the project.

Why are we not waiting for them to vet the showgrounds and tell us what conditions seven should be before we vote and say this is a great idea, take the land out, let’s hope it works,” Wellington Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone said.

Residents chimed in saying they don’t trust what the developers are bringing to the table.

“They keep saying the spirit of things and they won’t give us definitions. Where is the money coming from? Who’s going to run the horse show? Well, we intend, we assume. Very loose ends to give up such valuable land,” Kristy Lund, Wellington resident and member of the Equestrian Preserve Committee of Wellington, said.

This was only the first reading. That means it still must go to the state for a recommendation. Then it will go for a second reading and final approval, likely sometime after the holidays in January.