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ITEM: ORDINANCE NO. 2023-02 (THE WELLINGTON NORTH REZONING)
AN ORDINANCE OF WELLINGTON, FLORIDA’S COUNCIL, APPROVING A REZONING [PETITION NUMBER 2022-001-REZ] FOR CERTAIN PROPERTY KNOWN AS EQUESTRIAN VILLAGE AND WHITE BIRCH FARMS; LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SOUTH SHORE BOULEVARD AND PIERSON ROAD TOTALING 96.11 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, AS MORE SPECIFICALLY DESCRIBED HEREIN; TO AMEND THE ZONING DESIGNATION FROM PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT/EQUESTRIAN OVERLAY ZONING DISTRICT (PUD/EOZD) TO PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (PUD); TO REMOVE THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES FROM SUBAREA D OF THE EOZD LOCATED ON PAGE 2 OF THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP; PROVIDING A CONFLICTS CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
REQUEST: Approval of Ordinance No. 2023-02 to amend Wellington’s Official Zoning Map to amend the zoning designation of Equestrian Village and White Birch Farms from EOZD/PUD to PUD and to remove the properties from Subarea D of the EOZD.
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EXPLANATION: The Agent, Don Hearing, Cotleur and Hearing, on behalf of the Applicant, Wellington Lifestyle Partners, is requesting multiple applications in order to develop the 96.17-acre Equestrian Village and White Birch Farms properties into a 96 dwelling unit residential project with 49 single family and 47 multi-family units and recreational amenities. The Applicant requires the following approvals:
Ordinance No. 2023-01 - Comprehensive Plan Amendments (Petition 2022-0002-CPA):
• To amend the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) to remove Equestrian Village and White Birch Farms, totaling 96.11 acres, from the Equestrian Preserve;
• To amend the Bridle Path Map, Pedestrian Pathway Network Map, the Multi-Modal Pathways Map, and the Bicycle Lanes Map within the Comprehensive Plan by deleting the Equestrian Village property identification as “venue” and amending the Equestrian Preserve Area boundary; and
• To amend the FLUM designation of a 33.50-acre portion of Equestrian Village and the entire 36.74-acre White Birch Farms properties, totaling 70.24 acres, from Equestrian Commercial Recreation (ECR) to Residential C (1.01 du/ac - 3.0 du/ac).
• To amend the FLUM designation of a 25.87-acre portion of Equestrian Village from Equestrian Commercial Recreation (ECR) to Residential D (2.01 du/ac - 5.0 du/ac).
Ordinance No. 2023-02 - Rezoning (Petition 2022-0001-REZ) - Action must be consistent with Comprehensive Plan:
• To amend Wellington’s Official Zoning Map to amend the zoning designation of Equestrian Village and White Birch Farms, totaling 96.11 acres, from EOZD/PUD to PUD and modify the boundary of the EOZD consistent with the Equestrian Preserve Area; and
• To remove Equestrian Village and White Birch Farms from Subarea D of the EOZD.
Resolution No. 2023-01 - Master Plan Amendment (Petition 2022-0004-MPA):
• To amend the Wellington PUD Master Plan to:
o To combine Pods 30C-2, and Pods 30C-4 into Pod 30C-2 (96.11 acres);
o To assign 96 dwelling units (49 single family and 47 multi-family) to Pod 30C-2;
o To approve The Wellington North at Equestrian Village Project Standards Manual;
o Removing one (1) access point along South Shore Boulevard and one (1) access point along Pierson Road; and
o To revise Conditions of Approval.
At the June 7, 2023 Equestrian Preserve Committee (EPC) meeting, the committee was tasked only with providing a recommendation to the modification of the EPA boundary by removing the Equestrian Village and White Birch Farms properties (Ordinance No. 2023-01) and the rezoning of the properties from EOZD/PUD to PUD (Ordinance No. 2023-02). The committee unanimously recommended denial (7-0) of both Ordinances.
At the August 16, 2023 Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board (PZAB) meeting, the board recommended that Council deny without prejudice or table the Wellington North CPA (Ordinance No. 2023-01), REZ (Ordinance No. 2023-02) and MPA (Resolution No. R2023-01) until such time as the Compatibility Determination for Pod F is submitted and has been heard by EPC and PZAB through the Public Hearing process so that the application can be heard at Council collectively with the Wellington North CPA application. The motion passed 5-2. Dr. Satesh Raju and Maureen Martinez dissented.
A public hearing was held on September 28, 2023 for the 49 property owners that did not receive a certified mailer for the July/August PZAB meeting. No property owners were present at this meeting and the Board reaffirmed their previous motion of denial/tabling the applications.
Since the PZAB Meeting, the applicant has amended the requests by:
• Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment:
o Eliminating the request to modify the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) designation for Coach House from the Residential F (8.01 - 12.0 du/ac) to Residential E.
o Modifying the FLUM designation for White Birch and Equestrian Village from Residential E to Residential D (2.01 - 5.0 du/ac)
• Master Plan Amendment:
o Removing the Coach House from the Master Plan Amendment request, which includes the Pod 30C 50-unit entitlement.
o Reducing the number of units for Pod 30C-2 from 250 units (22 single family and 228 multifamily) to 96 units (49 single family and 47 multifamily)
o Add a note to Pod 30C-2 which limits the building height to 35 feet; and
o Removing one (1) access point along South Shore Boulevard and one (1) access point along Pierson Road; and
o Modifying and adding conditions of approval.
At the November 16, 2023 Village Council Meeting, the Council voted (4-1) to approve Ordinance No. 2023-01 (CPA) and Ordinance No. 2023-02 (REZ) on first reading and to transmit the proposed CPA request to the state for review. Staff has forwarded the proposed request to the Florida Department of Commerce (formerly known as the Department of Economic Opportunity) and the various review agencies, and have received no comments on the proposed amendments.
Since the First Reading of Council, the applicant has amended their requests by:
• Comprehensive Plan Map Amendment:
o Modifying the FLUM designation for the entire 36.74-acre White Birch Farms and the eastern 33.50-acre portion of Equestrian Village from Residential D to Residential C (1.01 - 3.0 du/ac) with a maximum of 49 single-family dwelling units.
o The remaining 25.87-acre western portion of Equestrian Village request remains Residential D with a maximum of 47 multi-family dwelling units.
• Master Plan Amendment:
o Updated various conditions of the MPA including Conditions 7 - 12.
o Modified the Wellington PUD Master Plan to reflect the locations of the single-family and multi-family development to match the FLUM.
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: NO
PUBLIC HEARING: YES QUASI-JUDICIAL: YES
FIRST READING: SECOND READING: YES
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY: YES
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
WELLINGTON FUNDAMENTAL: Responsive Government
RECOMMENDATION: Please refer to the recommendations as stated above in the Explanation/Summary for this request.