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List: Halloween events and pumpkin patches in Palm Beach County
[Village of Wellington] Looking for something to do to mark this fall or Halloween in Palm Beach County?
Check out this list of events. And be sure to bookmark it; I’ll continue to update as we get closer to Oct. 31.
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Is there an event I missed that should be included here? Comment below with the details or click here to send me an email.
The events are listed by date.
Pumpkin Patches
Our Lady Queen of the Apostles, 100 Crestwood Blvd., Royal Palm Beach
- Open through Halloween
- 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 31
- Free crafts on the weekends
The Square, 650 Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach
- Open weekends through Oct. 29
- 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
Community of Hope, 14055 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves
- Open through Oct. 30
- 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, 12200 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
- Open through Halloween
- 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Kids Club Mommy & Me Costume Party
When: 10:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 25
Where: The District at the Mall at Wellington Green, 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
Cost: Free
Activities:
- Suitable for children age 5 and younger
- Music
- Costume parade
- Halloween bingo
- Pumpkin crafts
- Treats
Parking: Free and available on-site
Information: Click here
Clematis by Fright feat. The Spazmatics
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 26
Where: Waterfront Commons, 100 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities:
- Games
- Trick-or-truck, where children can get candy from first responders and city employees
- Hay rides
- Face painting
- Live performance by The Spazmatics
Parking: Click here for a map of downtown West Palm Beach parking garages and lots.
Information: Click here
Haunted House Party
When: 1 p.m. daily Oct. 27-31.
Where: Grand Court of The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens.
Cost: Free.
Activities: Tune up your singing voice and polish off your dancing shoes for Boogah & Hoogah’s Haunted House Party sing-along-do-along show.
Parking: Free and available around the mall.
Information: Click here.
Town of Jupiter Halloween Spooktacular
When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27
Where: Jupiter Community Center, 200 Military Trail, Jupiter
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities:
- Trick-or-treating
- Games
- DJ performance
- Character visits from Spider-Man and a princess
- Pumpkin decorating
- Food trucks
- Teal Pumpkin Project with non-food items that are safe for all trick-or-treaters
- Arts and crafts
- Monster maze
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Trunk or Treat with the Riviera Beach Police Department
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 27.
Where: Marina Promenade, 190 E. 13th St., Riviera Beach.
Cost: Free.
Activities: Check out this family-friendly trunk-or-treat event.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-845-4126.
Little Scream
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27
Where: Bryant Park, 100 S. Golfview Road, Lake Worth Beach
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities:
- Trunk-or-treating
- Rock wall
- Bounce house
- Euro bungee
- Pet costume contest with categories for most creative, pet-owner combo and best overall
- Children’s costume contest with categories for best group, scariest, most creative and judges’ choice
- “Hotel Transylvania” (PG)
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Family-Friendly Halloween Skate
When: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Astro Skate of Palm Beach County, 3100 S. Jog Road, Greenacres.
Cost: $12 for admission, skate rental is extra. Elementary schoolers who wear a costume get in for half price.
Activities: Take part in the elementary schooler costume contest with $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-766-1333.
SpookyVille
When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 28, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 29, 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
Where: Yesteryear Village, 9067 Southern Blvd., on the north side of the fairgrounds; look for the Archway Gate.
Cost: $10 per person, free for children ages 2 and younger.
Activities:
- Appropriate for children ages 10 and younger
- Trick-or-treat
- Contests
- Games
- Activities
- Admission gates close a half hour before the event ends
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here.
Pet Costume Contest at the West Palm Beach GreenMarket
When: 11 a.m. Oct. 28 with registration beginning at 9 a.m.
Where: West Palm Beach GreenMarket, on the 100 and 200 blocks of Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach.
Cost: Free but there is a $10 suggested minimum donation for participants.
Activities: Registration is from 9 to 10:45 a.m. and the contest begins at 11 a.m. Pets must be leashed. Prizes will be awarded. Costume categories include scariest, funniest, best group and best in show.
Parking: Click here for a map of downtown West Palm Beach parking garages and lots.
Information: Click here or call 561-822-1515.
Kidsfest of Delray and Halloween Activities
When: Throughout the day Oct. 28
Where: Downtown Delray Beach
Cost: Free
Activities:
- 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Trick-or-treating on the Avenue, at businesses downtown.
- 1 p.m. – 61st annual Halloween Parade from S.E./N.E. 5th Avenue to Old School Square.
- Noon to 4 p.m. – Kidsfest at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave. Includes food, vendors, arts and crafts, live entertainment and more.
Parking: Free and paid and available throughout downtown Delray Beach.
Information: Click here
Monster Mash
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 28
Where: The Swim Center, 21618 St. Andrews Blvd., Boca Raton
Cost: Free
Activities:
- Wear a costume, swimsuit or both
- Activities in and out of the water
- Trick-or-treating
- Haunted house
- Suitable for ages 6 and older
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Pokemon-themed Trunk or Treat
When: Noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Blast. Toys, Cards & Gaming, 6653 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth.
Cost: Free.
Activities:
- Outdoor games
- Character meet-and-greets
- Activities for children
- Giveaways
- Costume contest
- Gaming truck
- Pokemon-themed food available to buy
- Vendors include BerySweet Bakery, South Florida Ballroom, Cereal Toyz Gaming and 92 Golf Kitchen & Canteen
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-268-2732.
Spooky Soiree
When: Noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Grand Court of The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens.
Cost: Free.
Activities: Wear your costume to the Kids Club Spooky Soiree. There will be treats, special store offers, activities, Halloween stilt walkers, a special performance by Boogah & Hoogah at 1 p.m. and more.
Parking: Free and available around the mall.
Information: Click here to register.
Halloween Ice Skating
When: 12:30 to 3 p.m. or 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Palm Beach Skate Zone, 8125 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth.
Cost: Per session: $22 includes skate rental, or $16 if you bring your own skates.
Activities:
- Trick-or-treating on the ice
- Ice skating
- DJ
- Costume contest with prizes of a $100 gift card for first place, $50 gift card for second place and $25 gift card for third place
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-963-5900.
Trunk-or-Treat at OLQA
When: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Our Lady Queen of the Apostles, 100 Crestwood Blvd., Royal Palm Beach.
Cost: Free.
Activities: Check out this family-friendly trunk-or-treat event.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Call 561-798-5661.
Mia’s Spooktacular Halloween Party
When: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Manatee Lagoon, 6000 N. Flagler Dr., West Palm Beach.
Cost: Free.
Activities:
- Face painting
- Treats
- Crafts
- Science experiments
- Costume contest
- Pumpkin decorating
- Photo opps with mascot Mia the Manatee
- Soft play area
- Food truck
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-626-2833.
Halloween Trick-or-Treat with Red Sneakers for Oakley
When: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: The Square, 650 Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach.
Cost: Free.
Activities:
- Trick-or-treating around The Square
- Live music
- Games
- Pumpkin patch
- Allergen-safe treats for all children marked by teal pumpkins at each participating storefront
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-366-1000.
Palm Beach Gardens Fall Festival
When: 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 28
Where: The Gardens North County District Park, 5101 117th Court N., Palm Beach Gardens
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities:
- Carnival-style games and activities
- Trick-or-treating
- Vendors
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Trunk or Treat at Family Church
When: Oct. 28.
Where: Family Church locations and times:
- 5 to 7 p.m. at 625 Park Ave., Lake Park, with face painting and candy
- 4 to 6 p.m. at 13475 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter, with a bounce house, games, raffle and $5 barbecue dinner
- 4 to 6 p.m. at 8657 Lantana Road, Lake Worth, with costumes and candy
- 5 to 7 p.m. at 1101 S. Flagler Dr., West Palm Beach, with costumes and candy
- 5 to 7 p.m. at 4901 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, with costumes and candy
Cost: Free.
Activities: Wear your costume and enjoy this family-friendly trunk-or-treat event.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-650-7400.
G-Scare Haunted House and Trunk or Treat
When: Trunk or treat from 5 to 8 p.m. and haunted house from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: G-Star High School of the Arts, 2030 S. Congress Ave., Palm Springs.
Cost: Free trunk or treat; $5 admission to the haunted house
Activities: Check out this haunted house created by G-Star’s talented students.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here.
Fall Festival
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: 226 Cypress Lane, Palm Springs.
Cost: Free.
Activities:
- Live music from the Brothers of Others band
- Food vendors
- Candy lane
- Hayrides
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-584-8200.
Pumpkin Stroll and Moonlight Concert
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, 10900 Jack Nicklaus Dr., North Palm Beach.
Cost: Free for members and $5 per person for non-members.
Activities:
- Walk the path lit by jack-o-lanterns.
- Activities for families.
- Live music from 7 to 9 p.m.
- 15-minute intermission for stargazing or moongazing on the boardwalk
- If you want to contribute a carved pumpkin, you can drop it off between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. the day of the event. Pumpkins must be family-friendly.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-624-6950.
Haunted Hammock
When: 7:30 to 10 p.m. Oct. 28
Where: Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton
Cost: $12 for residents and members, $15 for all others
Activities:
- Suitable for ages 7 and older
- Take a haunted walk through the nature center’s hammock forest
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Halloween Teen Scream Skate
When: 8 to 11 p.m. Oct. 28.
Where: Astro Skate of Palm Beach County, 3100 S. Jog Road, Greenacres.
Cost: $12 for admission, skate rental is extra.
Activities: Take part in the costume contest with $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third. Middle and high schoolers who wear costumes get a free slice of pizza and a soda.
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here or call 561-766-1333.
Neighborhood Fall Fest
When: Throughout the day Oct. 29, with services at 8:30, 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 1, 5 and 6:30 p.m.
Where: Life.Church Wellington, 3061 State Road 7, Wellington.
Cost: Free.
Activities:
- Family-friendly activities
- Fall photo opp
- Games
- Petting zoo
- Pony rides
- Inflatables
- Food
- Music
Parking: Free on-site.
Information: Click here.
Palm Beach County Library System Halloween Events
When: Throughout the month of October
Where: Throughout Palm Beach County
Cost: Free
Activities on Halloween day, Oct. 31:
- Acreage Branch: Spooky Time Play for ages newborn to 12 months. 2 to 2:45 p.m. 15801 Orange Blvd., Loxahatchee. Registration required, opens Oct. 17: Click here
- Belle Glade Branch: Halloween Parade, for all ages. Wear a costume and trick-or-treat in the library. 10:30 a.m. to noon. 725 N.W. 4th St., Belle Glade.
- Clarence E. Anthony Branch: Preschool storytime and activity. 10 to 11 a.m. 375 S.W. 2nd Ave., Pahokee.
- Jupiter Branch: Trick-or-Treat, all day at the branch’s three service desks while supplies last. 705 Military Trail, Jupiter.
- Lantana Road Branch: Trick-or-Treat for Tots, for ages newborn to 5 years. 11 to 11:45 a.m. 4020 Lantana Road, Lake Worth. Registration required, opens Oct. 17: Click here
- Okeechobee Boulevard Branch: Monster Mash & Costume Parade. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. 5689 W. Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. Registration required, opens Oct. 17: Click here
- Royal Palm Beach Branch: Spooktacular Storytime Parade and Craft for ages newborn to 5 years. 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. 500 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach. Registration required, opens Oct. 17: Click here
- Wellington Branch: Halloween Story Time for ages 1-4. 11 to 11:45 a.m. | Movie Matinee with free showing of “Hocus Pocus” (PG). 2:30 to 4:15 p.m. | 1951 Royal Fern Dr., Wellington.
- West Boca Branch: Peek-A-Boo! Halloween story with songs and activities for ages 1-2. 10:30 to 11 a.m. Registration required, opens Oct. 17: Click here | Preschool Not-So-Scary Stories for ages 3-6. 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration required, opens Oct. 17: Click here | 18685 S.R. 7, Boca Raton.
Parking: Free and available at each library
Information: Click here for the full list of Halloween events throughout October
Trick-or-Treat at the Mall at Wellington Green
When: 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Where: The Mall at Wellington Green, 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
Cost: Free
Activities: Trick-or-treat at participating retailers in the mall.
Parking: Free and available on-site
Information: Click here
FarmsFest
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31
Where: Jupiter Farms Church, 12600 Indiantown Road, Jupiter
Cost: Free
Activities:
- Trunk-or-treat
- Live music from The Tom Jackson Band
- Food
Parking: Free and available on-site at the church and along the street
Information: Click here
Past Events
Rock-n-Fall Festival
When: 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 6 and 1 to 9 p.m. Oct. 7
Where: Commons Park, 11600 Poinciana Blvd., Royal Palm Beach
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities:
- Oct. 6: Funzone, carnival games, bounce house, Eagles tribute from 6 to 8 p.m., KISS tribute from 8:15 to 10 p.m.
- Oct. 7: Funzone, carnival games, bounce house, train ride, fun slide, corn maze, petting zoo, pumpkin carving at 1 p.m., pet costume contest at 2 p.m., kids costume contest at 3 p.m., Joe Noto live from 5 to 7 p.m., Bob Seger tribute from 7 to 9 p.m.
Costume contest: Begins at 3 p.m. Age groups for infant to 3 years old, 4-8, 9-13 and 14 and older.
Catskill Haunts Haunted House: Open 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28.
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Stories in the Park
When: 10 to 11 a.m. Oct. 7
Where: Burns Road Park, 4404 Burns Road, Palm Beach Gardens
Cost: Free
Activities: Read the book “Pumpkin Patty” with entertainer Suzy Hammer.
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Screen on the Green: ‘Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania’ (PG)
When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 13
Where: The Great Lawn at Waterfront, 100 N. Clematis St., West Palm Beach
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities: Watch a free outdoor movie.
Parking: Click here for a map of downtown West Palm Beach parking garages and lots.
Information: Click here
PBSO National Night Out Against Crime
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 20
Where: Samuel J. Ferreri Community Park, 2905 Jog Road, Greenacres
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities: Note – this isn’t specifically a fall or Halloween event, but it looks like a lot of fun for families.
- Bounce house
- Obstacle course
- Free hot dogs and hamburgers
- Meet Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office K-9 and Specialty units
Parking: On-site
Information: Click here
Kids Club Mall-O-Ween Costume Party & Magic Show
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct 20
Where: Grand Court at the Mall at Wellington Green, 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington
Cost: Free
Activities:
- Magic demonstration
- Photo opportunities with the “Hocus Pocus” witches
- Holiday candy
- More live entertainment
- Costumes encouraged
Parking: Free and available on-site
Information: Click here
Lake Worth Beach Haunted House
When: 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 20 and 21
Where: Osborne Community Center, 1699 Wingfield St., Lake Worth Beach
Cost: Admission is free.
Activities: Walk-through haunted house.
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
Halloween Crawl
When: Throughout the day Oct. 21
Where: Various locations around Palm Beach County
Cost: Free
Activities: Trick-or-treat at participating businesses and homes throughout Palm Beach County.
Parking: Free and available at each location.
Information: Click here to RSVP. The full list locations and times will be released Oct. 18.
Wellington Fall Festival
When: 3 to 10 p.m. Oct. 21
Where: Village Park, 11700 Pierson Road, Wellington
Cost: Admission is free; all-access bracelets are required for all activities. Bracelets are available for pre-sale until Oct. 20 for $7 per child, $5 per adult and free for children age 2 and younger. Bracelets sold on the day of the event will be available until 9 p.m. for $10 per child, $5 per adult and free for children 2 and younger. Adults only need bracelets for the haunted hallways, laser tag and hay rides.
Where to buy bracelets: Village Park, 11700 Pierson Road; Wellington Community Center, 12150 Forest Hill Blvd.
Activities:
- Costume contests: No sign-up necessary. Age groups for 3 and younger, 4-6, 7-10, 11-14 and 15 and older
- Bounce houses and inflatables
- Face painting
- Food trucks
- Haunted Hallways (not recommended for children under 10)
- Hay rides
- Laser tag
- Petting zoo
- Pie-eating contests
- Live entertainment
- Trick-or-treating at vendors
KultureCity Quiet Area: Wellington’s Quiet Area is in the Village Park Gym, rooms 2A and 2B. The room provides a quiet, more secure environment for people with sensory needs.
- Sensory bags will be available for no cost.
- Children in the Quiet Area must be accompanied by an adult.
- Visits should be limited to 15-20 minutes at a time.
Food trucks and vendors: A list of food trucks will be posted on Wellington’s event website.
Parking and shuttles: Limited parking is available on-site. Shuttles will be provided from the Mall at Wellington Green with pickup and dropoff near the Palm Tran bus stop next to Macy’s on the mall’s west side. Shuttles begin running at 2:30 p.m. on the day of the event.
Information: Click here
Halloween Spooky Fest
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 21
Where: Delmar Farm, in Deer Run, Loxahatchee, next to Lion Country Safari
Cost: $30 for ages toddler to 12, includes everything; $20 for ages 13-16, everything except pony ride; $5 for ages 17 and older, adults accompanying children. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit farm animal sanctuary. Pre-registration is required.
Activities:
- Haunted forest walk-through
- Pony rides for ages toddler to 12
- Mini horse and farm animal encounters
- Story time
- Witch’s cottage
- Fortune teller
- Games and prizes
- Costume parade
- Crafts
- Lots of photo opportunities
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Text 561-315-9516 with questions or to register.
Halloween in the Garden
When: 4:30 or 6 p.m. Oct. 22
Where: Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton
Cost: $10 per resident and member child or $13 for others. Adults enter for free with a participating child.
Activities: Halloween games and activities for ages 2-6.
Parking: Free and available on-site.
Information: Click here
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Royal Palm Brewing grows footprint, will have outdoor seating with village OK
Photo by ELEVATE on Pexels.com After months of back and forth with Royal Palm Beach, Royal Palm Brewing Co. is growing to a larger space and installing permanent outdoor seating.
The brewery-restaurant received approval from the Village Council at the Sept. 21 meeting on three agenda items that will allow it to grow to nearly 5,200 square feet, including an outdoor patio area, on State Road 7 in the Commons at Royal Palm shopping center.
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The vote came after planning, discussions and paperwork – and nearly $9,000 in fees – between the family-owned business and the village’s planning staff, Royal Palm Brewing Co.’s George Shetka told the council.
“Quite honestly, we’re ready for a resolution,” said George Shetka, who runs the business with his wife, Pam, and brother, Geoffrey.
The council voted to:
- Allow outdoor seating for breweries next to residential zoning districts, but only with a variance from the council.
- Approve that variance for Royal Palm Brewing Co.
- Increase the allowed square footage for breweries in Royal Palm Beach to 6,000 square feet, from the previously approved 5,000 square feet.
When Royal Palm Brewing Co. opened on St. Patrick’s Day in 2018, it was the first of its kind in the village and set a precedent, with Royal Palm Beach writing new rules to accommodate the type of business the Shetkas wanted to open.
As the business has grown, the Shetkas have looked for opportunities to expand within their current shopping center. Royal Palm Brewing Co., which serves food in addition to brewing its own craft beers, now occupies three suites on the shopping center’s north end.
In addition to having dozens of beers on tap, Royal Palm Brewing Co. also offers draft wine, to-go cans of some of its most popular brews, and a food menu with appetizers, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, flatbreads, hot sandwiches, wraps, salads, hot dogs and Polish sausages, and “waffle snackers,” which are described as “stuffed croissant dough snackers baked fresh on a waffle iron.”
The brewery received a letter of support for the outdoor seating plans from the neighboring Bella Terra neighborhood’s homeowners association.
Royal Palm Brewing had outdoor seating temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was a hit, George Shetka said during the Aug. 17 Village Council meeting. There were also no complaints from neighbors during that time, he said.
“The community overwhelmingly supports and wants the outdoor seating,” he said. “They had it. They loved it. Our taproom numbers have dropped since it’s gone away. Thankfully, our distribution numbers are up.”
Not having outdoor seating puts Royal Palm Brewing at a competitive disadvantage, he said. Restaurants like Papi Chulo – just up State Road 7 and also in Royal Palm Beach – that serve Royal Palm Brewing’s beer and are allowed to have outdoor seating do better business, he said.
“If we were to take out our tanks and not make beer there, order it from somewhere else, they could have outdoor seating under the current village code,” George Shetka said in August.
More recently, the brewery had an Oktoberfest event last month with a special event permit that allowed outdoor seating and was approved by the village. There were no issues or complaints from neighbors, Shetka said.
In a Facebook post on Sept. 29, Royal Palm Brewing Co. posted photos of the outdoor seating area and thanked Royal Palm Beach’s staff and officials and the community for their support.
“We hope you enjoy your new space and look forward to seeing you soon,” they said.
For more information, go to http://www.royalpalmbrewing.com.
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Long-empty former CVS building to become daycare in Royal Palm Beach
This rendering shows the plans for the new Kingswood Academy in the former CVS on Okeechobee Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach. [Village of Royal Palm Beach documents] A former CVS building that has been vacant for years will get new life as a daycare.
Kingswood Academy received unanimous approval last month from Royal Palm Beach’s Village Council for site plan and architectural approval for its new location at 10245 Okeechobee Blvd., in the Cobblestone Village Shopping Center near Target.
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There is already a waiting list for the new 11,200-square-foot school, which will have a maximum of 240 children and 24 staff members at most per shift, John Schmidt, the agent for the project, told the council at the Sept. 21 meeting.
Kingswood has four other locations in Palm Springs, Delray Beach, Lake Worth and Greenacres, according to the company’s website. The daycare centers provide care for babies through age 5 and offer VPK, the website says.
According to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s website, Globex Investment Group V LLC closed on the site in April for $3.6 million.
The updated site plan for the new daycare facility includes a 16,000-square-foot play area that forms a U around the north, west and south sides of the building. The project will in part convert the old CVS drive-thru into an artificial turf space with a tot lot, splash pad, play car track and jungle gym with shade canopies and a wash area, said Bradford O’Brien, Royal Palm Beach’s director of planning and zoning.
The floor plan includes one bathroom for each classroom, Schmidt said.
There is plenty of room for cars to circulate for pickup and dropoff, and there are 38 parking spaces – nine more than the required number, Schmidt and O’Brien said.
Councilwoman Selena Samios expressed concern about how close the school is to the road. She also asked about air quality with the school and its outdoor play area being near Okeechobee Boulevard.
Schmidt said village staff raised the same concern about air quality, and noted that the daycare’s owners bought air quality monitors that have shown very good or good quality standards at all times.
The council’s vote created a condition of approval that will require the daycare to submit regular air quality reports to the village.
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Controversial Wellington development project pushed back a month, now will go to council in November
A proposed residential project that has drawn significant community opposition while promising growth for Wellington’s equestrian sports scene will not be reviewed by the Village Council for another month.
The Wellington Equestrian and Golf Club, pitched by Wellington Lifestyle Partners, was originally scheduled to go to the council tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 10. But developers today requested a continuation, which was supported by staff and granted by the council.
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The council now will review the project — which could potentially remove about 96 acres of land from Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Area and bring more than 200 residences to the village, in addition to amenities — beginning Nov. 14 with follow-up dates on Nov. 15-16 if needed.
Wellington Lifestyle Partners is Wellington Equestrian Partners, including Mark and Paige Bellissimo, and NEXUS Luxury Collection, a real estate development arm of billionaire Joe Lewis’ Tavistock Group. NEXUS’ investors include big names like Justin Timberlake, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els.
Opponents present for what they expected to be the first of possibly three meetings this week shouted objections to the decision, with council members toward the end of the meeting explaining that this is sometimes part of the process with development applications.
Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone explained that he sympathized with those in the audience who were disappointed, but continuations are allowed to be requested and granted. Each development application is permitted one postponement, per Wellington’s rules.
“You know, there was somebody I heard in the crowd say something to the effect of, ‘Why? Why are you doing this?’” Councilman Michael Drahos said, adding, “From my point of view, this is one of the most important votes if not the most important vote in the history of Wellington, so I do not want to rush it through, and we’re received a massive amount of information recently.”
With the lengthy exhibits, applications and reports that the council members need to review, Drahos said he wanted to “take the time to digest” so that he was ready when the application did come before the council.
“From my point of view, this was the prudent thing to do tonight, as much as it is frustrating,” he said. “We want to get on with it, we want to vote, we want to decide Wellington’s future once and for all. Let’s just do it the right way, take some time, make sure that we’ve had an opportunity to fully go through all of this so that when it does come time to vote, we’re all ready to do that.”
Mayor Anne Gerwig thanked Napoleone and Drahos for their comments and agreed.
“This is the process we’re working within that we have,” she said. “It is a lot of information.”
Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ request for continuation followed details released to the public and submitted to the village by the development team recently requesting lower density than originally projected on both the Wellington North and South.
The development team also submitted plans late last month to Wellington for a proposed expansion of the Wellington International equestrian showgrounds.
Click here to read more about the project.
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The Wellington sees major changes – including showgrounds plans – as project heads to council facing opposition
The development team behind a controversial project in Wellington has made major changes to its plans – including submitting initial plans for expanded equestrian showgrounds – as the project heads to the Village Council this week in the face of opposition.
The updated plans for the Wellington Equestrian and Golf Club – from developers Wellington Lifestyle Partners, which is Wellington Equestrian Partners, including Mark and Paige Bellissimo, and NEXUS Luxury Collection – will be reviewed by the council during what could be a three-night meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with time scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Review of the project stretched across two nights when it went before the Equestrian Preserve Committee and three nights before the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board.
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In the past two weeks, the group also submitted plans to the village for an expanded Wellington International equestrian showgrounds, a sticking point early in the development application process for the Wellington as the Equestrian Preserve Committee decried the project moving forward without concrete plans to review for that expansion and a promised new home for dressage competition. The Village Council will not yet officially review the plans for the showgrounds, but those watching can expect those plans to be mentioned as part of presentations and public comment.
For more information about the Wellington North and South, read my three-part, in-depth report on the issues surrounding The Wellington:
The developers: Who are they, and why do they feel this is the right project for Wellington?
The opposition: Who are they, and why are they so vehemently opposed to this project?
What changed and what’s new?
Some of the most radical changes have been made to plans for the Wellington North, the roughly 100-acre property on the northeast corner of Pierson Road and South Shore Boulevard that is currently home to the Global Dressage Festival grounds.
Updated plans for the Wellington North have more emphasis on single-family home lots. Where the previous iteration of the plan included 278 multi-family units in 12 buildings, 22 single-family homes, a 56,000-square-foot clubhouse, a dog park and more, the new pitch includes 48 custom home lots and up to 48 townhomes.
The Wellington North has drawn significant opposition because it calls for the removal of about 96 acres of land from Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Area. Click here to read more about the opposition, Wellington’s history and the EPA. Those who oppose the project say that would be the first step as developers look to chip off pieces of the Equestrian Preserve Area for residential or commercial development.
The Wellington South – on the west side of South Shore between Pierson and Lake Worth roads – also has seen changes ahead of Tuesday night’s council meeting, going from an initial 137 single-family homes with five of those on 5-acre lots, to 109 lots ranging from .5 to an acre in size and five 4-acre farms.
In a letter delivered to Wellington residents over the weekend, Wellington Lifestyle Partners CEO and managing partner Doug McMahon – of NEXUS – and executive vice president and partner Paige Bellissimo – whose father, Mark Bellissimo, owns the properties in question through his companies – noted that there are development entitlements across their properties for 205 units. The new request is for an additional five.
“This is a process,” McMahon said in a phone interview last week. There is an official process and an unofficial process, he said: The official process involves development applications and multiple reviews by village boards. The unofficial process happens with talking with residents, business owners and other community stakeholders, he said.
“We’re just meeting with scores and scores of people over the last year, and we’re human beings,” he said. “We are listening, and we are modifying, and we’ve made modifications throughout the process. I will say the modifications we made in the last few weeks clearly are much more dramatic and part of that was a decision on our part that we care about Wellington.
“We’re attracted to Wellington because it is Wellington, and we do want Wellington to stay Wellington,” he said. “We just want it to be more vital, and stronger.”
This site plan provides an initial look at an expansion of the Wellington International showgrounds. The showgrounds expansion would cover nearly 115 acres directly south of the current showgrounds. That land is currently zoned residential, with up to 62 dwelling units allowed there. Wellington Lifestyle Partners in their applications for the Wellington have requested that land be rezoned as equestrian commercial recreation, to allow for the larger competition grounds.
A site plan submitted to the village for a compatibility determination includes:
- A 87,500-square-foot international arena with an adjoining international schooling ring.
- A 230,000-square-foot grass derby field with adjoining grass derby schooling ring.
- A restaurant with 210 seats.
- VIP hospitality areas at 1,500 seats.
- 1,340 stalls across 341,000 square feet of barns and stables.
- 1,722 parking spaces.
- A sand lunging ring.
- Four schooling rings.
- Three competition rings.
- A jumper ring.
Why showgrounds expansion, and why now?
The aging Wellington International showgrounds are overdue for expansion and modernization, the development team has said. The plans also would consolidate dressage with hunter-jumper events – a move that would help to preserve the lower-revenue generating dressage’s presence in Wellington, the team has said.
McMahon and Paige Bellissimo and their consulting team have said from the first Equestrian Preserve Committee meeting that their intent was to have the showgrounds expansion be part of the overall project. They described it to the EPC as essentially three moving pieces of the same puzzle.
However, EPC members – who are equestrians themselves – lambasted the team for not having a development application for that expansion that could move through the development approval process in conjunction with the plans for the Wellington. Opponents told the EPC they feared the project could be “a bait and switch,” with the dressage grounds lost and not replaced elsewhere, in favor of more lucrative residential development.
READ MORE: How the Wellington-based Human-Animal Alliance fosters connections around the country
While Wellington Lifestyle Partners balked at that suggestion, they have admitted since that everything should have moved through Wellington’s approval process together.
“Our application has always been about the two projects,” Paige Bellissimo told me in August following the planning board meeting, where board members said they wanted to see a more clearly defined path to the new showgrounds. “I think we started EPC with a big void. Our presentation did not reflect the two projects equally. So when we came back to PZAB, together with Wellington International, we did a lot of work with Populous (the architect hired to design the showgrounds) to make those plans a reality.”
In designing the showgrounds, the team looked at “what makes Wellington, Wellington, and what makes it so special,” said Bellissimo, who grew up in Wellington and who continues to compete in equestrian sports.
Since the EPC, Wellington Lifestyle Partners also took a larger financial interest in the redevelopment of the showgrounds, McMahon confirmed. Part of that is thanks to a condition to which the development team agreed during the planning board meetings, where no permits can be issued for the Wellington North until dressage competitions are licensed to begin at Wellington International.
“We’re stepping up to finance and commit to building it,” McMahon said. “We’ll take charge of the development based upon the plan that we’ve been working on with Populous (the architecture firm working on the showgrounds expansion) and the Wellington International Group as well.”
“I think agreeing to the voluntary condition speaks to seeing the new showgrounds really coming to fruition before dressage is relocated anywhere,” Paige Bellissimo said. “That’s a really important component that kind of ties the two projects. Since there are separate applications, the voluntary condition I think gives the trust that it’s all gonna happen together, and the horse show will happen first before the residential.”
Now with those plans submitted to Wellington, the development could have a better chance of seeing success before the Village Council, said insiders who spoke with me about the project.
Should the Wellington not proceed, there may not be a path forward for the showgrounds expansion, McMahon said.
Two preservation groups share opposition
Opponents of the Wellington received a boost in recent weeks as two groups sent letters of concern about the project to the Village Council.
In a letter dated Sept. 11, the growth management advocacy group 1000 Friends of Florida urged the Village Council to deny the project’s applications.
Calling the Equestrian Preserve Area “a gem of thoughtful planning to protect rural lifestyles in an area of the state that is facing incredible growth pressures,” 1000 Friends of Florida’s president Paul Owens wrote that removing the 96 acres from the EPA would degrade Wellington’s unique qualities.
“Decision makers in Wellington need to look no further than the Agricultural Reserve to your south to see how compromises, deal-making and negotiating away the protection promised for agricultural land can be an irreversible trend that builds on the precedent of short-sighted planning decisions,” Owens wrote.
A coalition of opponents paid for the letter to be printed as a full-page ad in the Town-Crier and Palm Beach Post newspapers in late September.
Another group, the South Florida Wildlands Association, produced a report sharing environmental concerns about the project, particularly about the Wellington South.
“Based on our research presented in this letter, we respectfully ask the Wellington Village Council to deny the applicant’s request to construct massive equestrian showgrounds and luxury homes and villas on the unique Wellington South site,” wrote South Florida Wildlands Association executive director Matthew Schwartz. “We believe this project will bring an assortment of direct and indirect negative impacts to Wellington, its unique Equestrian Protection Area, its wetlands, aquifers, nearby public lands, and its wildlife.”
The development also could have implications when it comes to wetlands on the property, the letter said.
There could be other major implications for drainage and future flooding issues, Schwartz wrote. “Losing this amount of water retention in an area adjacent to dense developments could prove catastrophic for neighboring homes and developments,” he said.
According to a report from Air Mail, the South Florida Wildlands Association report was paid for by opponents of the project.
Both sides reach out to community
The developers and opponents have done significant public outreach, through email, traditional mail, social media and the press.
Opponents have formed coalitions to fight the project, with social media accounts and petitions that have garnered thousands of followers and signatures.
More activity has been seen from Wellington Lifestyle Partners – both on social media and with the letter to residents that was received this past weekend – leading up to the Village Council meeting.
In the letter to residents sent by Wellington Lifestyle Partners, the developers listed benefits to the community that would include an estimated additional $50 million in property tax revenue for Wellington over the next 10 years.
The letter also cites the $6 million investment in traffic mitigation along South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth and Pierson roads that would be included if the project is approved.
Where is Mark Bellissimo?
In the Air Mail report, it was noted that Mark Bellissimo has not attended any of the development review meetings before the Equestrian Preserve Committee or the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board.
Why? He has taken more of a back seat in this project, letting his daughter and business partners take the lead, Paige Bellissimo said.
“It’s really been Doug and I, day to day,” she said, adding that her father has been more active behind the scenes, watching the process and providing input and feedback.
Mark Bellissimo has a complicated history in Wellington.
While many credit him with improving and growing the standing of equestrian sports in Wellington, others decry his attempts to develop the land that is the Global Dressage Festival and would be the Wellington North.
In past attempts to develop that land, Bellissimo pitched a number of ideas, including restaurants, shops and a hotel. The hotel concept drew such ire from some in the community that they proposed a referendum – which passed in 2016 – that says there can be no construction of hotels, condominiums, motels and apartments from within the Equestrian Preserve Area.
Paige Bellissimo said that she wasn’t especially a fan of her father’s past proposals for the northeast corner of Pierson and South Shore – but the Wellington North in particular, with its club, residential and showgrounds components, “really resonated.”
“That made sense to me,” she said. “I wanted to come back to live in Wellington. This is a really special, unique community and my husband and I knew this is where we want to raise our family. So being able to have a small part in the growth of Wellington and trying to make sure that it is good growth and that it matches the character of Wellington, and maintains its charm, was really important to me and my family.”
What have boards recommended?
The Equestrian Preserve Committee voted unanimously in June to recommend denial of the project’s applications to the Village Council. That meeting took place across two nights.
The Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board took three nights between July and August to hear and make a recommending vote on the applications. The board voted:
- 5-2 to recommend approval of a comprehensive plan amendment to change the land use on the property south of the Wellington International showgrounds from residential to equestrian commercial recreation, and to change the land use of about 6 acres on the northwest corner of South Shore Boulevard and Lake Worth Road from commercial to residential.
- 6-1 to recommend approval of a master plan amendment for the Wellington South, with recommendations that Welington Lifestyle Partners should cut the number of units and increase lot sizes, and that an updated site plan and project standards manual should be provided to the Village Council.
- 5-2 for the three applications related to the Wellington North, to recommend the council either deny the application without prejudice, or table the application until the compatibility determination for the show grounds expansion south of Wellington International is submitted to the village and has been reviewed by both Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee and the Planing, Zoning and Adjustments Board, so the council can review that application alongside the three Wellington North applications.
Read more about the PZAB meeting here.
What happens next?
The Village Council will hear presentations and public comment on the applications beginning Tuesday, Oct. 10. The council is scheduled to meet Oct. 11-12 if necessary.
Expect each meeting to be packed. Arrive early to get a seat. There will be an overflow room if you arrive late.
You also may watch the meeting and submit comments online in advance. For more information, go to www.wellingtonfl.gov.
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This year’s Village Council election in Wellington is the most important in nearly a decade. Here’s why.
Three of the five members of Wellington’s council – seen here at a June meeting – are term-limited. That means the upcoming election in March could reshape the council and change Wellington’s trajectory. [Village of Wellington] If you care about Wellington, smart growth, education and raising your family here, you need to care about the upcoming Village Council election.
Voting is scheduled for March 19, 2024. Yes, that’s months away. But it’s time to start paying attention — if you weren’t already.
There hasn’t been an election this important in Wellington in nearly a decade.
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With three of the five council seats — Seat 1 held by Michael Drahos, Seat 4 held by Michael Napoleone and Mayor, the seat held by Anne Gerwig — up for election, and all three of the current council members in those seats term-limited, the majority of the council could change.
I say “could” because there is a possibility that one council member who is term-limited from his current position could return to the council, if he is elected mayor in March.
Either way, the body that oversees so much of what makes Wellington, Wellington, has the potential to go in a different direction.
The composition of the council — including members John McGovern and Tanya Siskind, who will be term-limited from their seats in March of 2026 — has remained the same since 2016.
That means for nearly a decade, the same five people have collaborated to direct Wellington’s trajectory.
With Wellington close to being built out, the future of any boundary expansion or major redevelopment within Wellington’s boundaries will be in the hands of this incoming council.
So far, eight people have filed to run: two for Seat 1, three for Seat 4 and three for Mayor.
The candidate qualifying window is from noon Nov. 7 — happy birthday to me! — to noon Nov. 21.
Wellington’s charter states that candidates for council must be registered to vote in Florida, live in Wellington and maintain residency in the village throughout their term in office.
While eight people have filed to run, more could file and qualify before that November deadline.
Want to keep an eye on who’s running? Click here for the election information page on Wellington’s website. You also can contact Village Clerk Chevelle Addie for more information at 561-791-4118.
Who is running?
Here’s a look at who has filed to run. If you’ve lived in Wellington for longer than 10 years, some of these will be familiar names, including Michael Napoleone — current council member and vice mayor who is running for mayor — and Bob Margolis, a former Wellington mayor and council member.
Seat 1: Bob Margolis and John “Jay” Webber
Seat 4: Shelly Lariz Albright, Maria Antuña and Michael Partow
Mayor: Michael Napoleone, Bart Novack and Kesnel Theus
(Candidates: If I have an incorrect website linked above, please click here to email me.)
Because this is a municipal race, you should expect to see all of these candidates at local events and speaking with groups and organizations to share their platforms.
Not sure how to talk with a candidate?
Here are some Wellington-specific questions to help you start the conversation:
- What is your position on growth and redevelopment? What are Wellington’s opportunities, and what are its strengths?
- What is your ideal future use for Wellington’s K-Park property on the southwest corner of Stribling Way and State Road 7?
- How do you feel about development in the equestrian preserve?
- How would you work with local agency partners to alleviate traffic issues in and around Wellington?
- What more can Wellington do to ensure our public schools remain top-of-the-line?
- With growing inflation, what can Wellington’s government do to make sure it continues to be fiscally sound?
I would suggest choosing one or two questions that are the most important to you so that when you meet a candidate, you can quickly find out how their values align with yours. Remember to keep it as local and Wellington-specific as possible.
It’s never too early to start caring about local government.
If you aren’t a registered voter, there’s still plenty of time. The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections’ website has more information about how to register to vote.
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Pink Party: Breast cancer awareness event returns to Mall at Wellington Green
[Provided by the Mall at Wellington Green] The annual breast cancer awareness Pink Party and Zumba Dance Party returns to the Mall at Wellington Green this weekend.
The free event, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Grand Court of the mall at 10300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington.
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The highlight of the event is the Zumba master class, with dozens of participants dressed in pink. A $10 donation to take part in the Zumba class goes to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.
The party also includes:
- Student performances
- Bra decorating
- Face painting
- Airbrush tattoos
- Testimonials from breast cancer survivors and thrivers
- Early breast cancer detection and prevention education
This is an incredible event with a fantastic team behind the scenes, including some of my dear friends who are busting their butts to make sure you have an awesome time.
For more information about the Pink Party, click here.
For more information about the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides of Palm Beach County event — coming up Oct. 14 at Sunset Cove Amphitheater, 20405 Amphitheater Circle, Boca Raton — click here.
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How the Wellington-based Human-Animal Alliance fosters connections around the country
Axel, the new facility dog for the fire department in Wilmington, North Carolina, was funded through a grant from the Wellington-based Human-Animal Alliance. [Provided by the Human-Animal Alliance] For Jackie Ducci, there are few bonds more precious than those she shares with her beloved animals: her horses, and her French and English bulldogs.
The lifelong equestrian found solace with horses as a young woman, working through social anxiety and finding a safe space in the barn after school.
So when she looked for an opportunity to create a nonprofit, there was no question in her mind what she wanted to support: the bond between humans and animals.
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“They really shaped my childhood and even today into adulthood, the first place hat I turn when I’m going through something is my animals,” Ducci said. “I always knew that if I did something charitable, it would be animal-related. And what’s really meaningful to me is just that connection between people and animals.”
So the Human-Animal Alliance was born, a Wellington-based nonprofit that is dedicated to supporting the connection between humans and animals. That extends from grants for human trafficking organizations that have in-house therapy animals, to organizations that help pet owners in crisis, to a fire department in North Carolina that hoped to buy a crisis response and emotional and mental health dog.
Human-Animal Alliance founder Jackie Ducci (right) with public relations assistant Janelle Menard and Dappy the miniature horse. [Provided by Human-Animal Alliance] As of late September, the Human-Animal Alliance had granted $84,000 to groups throughout the country.
Every dollar raised by the organization goes back into the community, Ducci said, adding that she puts in much of her own money to cover administrative costs and other overhead expenses. “Literally everything that people give gets turned around into a grant,” she said.
In determining which grants to award, Ducci said the Human-Animal Alliance looks at what is happening in the world, and what her organization can do to support the human-animal bond.
That can mean different things at different times, she said. Last year, that meant helping to recover and reunify displaced pets following Hurricane Ian.
“That’s really what we’re about, it bringing the people and the animals together any way we can,” she said.
When looking at how to structure the organization, Ducci said she found that there are many great organizations providing important programming to help people and their animals.
“What the world needs is an organization that is funneling money to those programs,” she said, “because you talk to all of them and they say, ‘I need money.’ I just felt like my strength is fundraising, and I have the network to do that and the platform to do that.
“I thought, that’s what I need to do: Raise the money and then get it into the hands of those who really are going to do something amazing with it,” Ducci said.
Just in the past year, the Human-Animal Alliance provided grants to two organizations in Texas that provide animal-assisted therapy services to survivors of human trafficking.
“The stories that come out of there are just incredible, about how the animals really help these kids and adults learn how to develop real relationships for the first time ever and get through that trauma,” Ducci said.
Human-Animal Alliance executive director Alexis Pulliam (left) with members of the Wilmington Fire Department at Axel’s ceremony. [Provided by Human-Animal Alliance] More recently, the organization provided a $25,000 grant to the organization paws4people to sponsor a black Labrador retriever named Axel, a crisis response and emotional and mental health facility dog for the fire department in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Axel joined two other facility dogs, Rhys and Heart, helping Wilmington firefighters combat PTSD and stress while also providing mental health care and comfort to people in traumatic situations like car crashes and house fires.
“He is sort of ‘on staff’ with a handler at the fire department, and they use him for crisis response,” Ducci said, adding, “We love that one because we feel like that one dog is going to just touch the lives of so many people.”
When talking to people about the Human-Animal Alliance, Ducci said she explains the importance of its work by taking people back to their own relationships with their animals.
“That feeling that they have is what we are trying to expose other people to,” she said. “You know, there are a lot of peoplein this world that just have never had that opportunity to connect with an animal on a deep level, or they’re at risk of losing it. … I just want everybody in this world to know how beautiful it is to have animals in their lives, and that’s really what it comes down to.”
Ducci moved to Wellington full-time about two years ago after flying back and forth between the Sunshine State and Connecticut to compete in equestrian sports.
Wellington has been an amazing home for the organization because there are so many animal lovers who are also charitable, Ducci said.
“We’re fortunate to be here,” she said.
The Human-Animal Alliance has several events planned for 2024. Details will be released online at www.h-aa.org as they are available.
To donate or for more information about the Human-Animal Alliance, go to www.h-aa.org.
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Wellington wins: Environmental preserve named winner of Great Places in Florida People’s Choice Award
Your votes paid off.
Wellington announced this week that it won the 10th annual Great Places in Florida People’s Choice Award from the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association, for the Wellington Environmental Preserve at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Habitat.
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This year’s theme was “Great Resilient Places,” honoring locations with planning elements that highlighted environmental resiliency. Wellington’s 400-acre stormwater treatment and wildlife area includes educational markers along its trails, which are designed to accommodate bicyclists, walkers and equestrians.
“This recognition reaffirms our commitment to preserving the natural beauty of our region while providing valuable recreational spaces for our residents,” Village Manager Jim Barnes said. “We are excited to announce that great things are on the horizon for the Wellington Environmental Preserve as we begin the process of incorporating the Moncada parcel.”
The two other finalists for the award were The Bay in Sarasota, and downtown St. Augustine.
“As Florida continues to grow at a rapid pace, we need more communities like the village of Wellington to think ahead and be innovative when protecting one of our state’s greatest assets, The Everglades, while providing a space of health and recreation for its residents,” said Whit Blanton, APA Florida president. “Named after the staunch Everglades defender, it is fitting that such a remarkable place earned this award.”
The Wellington Environmental Preserve, also known as Section 24, sits on Wellington’s western edge. For years the preserve at 3491 Flying Cow Ranch Road was 365 acres — until November 2021, when Wellington bought an additional adjoining 45-acre site, known as the Moncada property, to bring the preserve to an even 400 acres.
Crews in June began working to clear the 45-acre addition of invasive and exotic species. The property for decades has been overgrown since its past life as agricultural land, Wellington staff said. In that time, it was overrun with dense invasive plants, including Brazilian pepper.
With the property cleared, work can begin to incorporate it into the rest of the preserve with trails and markers, Wellington staff has said.
Wellington received several grants to help pay for the incorporation of the Moncada property, including:
- About $3.4 million of the $4.5 million price of the land, or about 75% of the cost, was covered by a grant through the Florida Communities Trust Grant Program.
- A $1.7 million grant from the Resilient Florida Grant Program, through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, will help pay for construction at the site. Wellington has to match that grant with another $1.7 million.
- A recently announced $747,500 grant that is part of the 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program.
- Another $400,000 through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Recreational Trails Program will help build trails, shade structures, and directional and interpretive trail signs in line with what exists in the rest of the preserve. Wellington has to match this grant with $275,000.
Once completed, the goal is for the 45 acres to blend seamlessly into the rest of the environmental preserve, Village Engineer Jonathan Reinsvold told me in February.
The project will continue into at least 2026, Wellington staff said.
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Work to begin soon on major Wellington sports facility backed by NFL player Jon Bostic
A rendering of the Wellington Sports Academy. [Village of Wellington planning documents] A blue construction fence marks the final days for the former Boys and Girls Club-turned-Wellington Community Park on South Shore Boulevard – and the beginning of construction on a $38 million athletic training facility.
The building at the center of the 17-acre property south of Pierson Road at 3401 South Shore Blvd. in Wellington will be torn down and replaced with a state-of-the-art sports training facility that is the vision of Wellington native and professional football player Jon Bostic.
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The Wellington Sports Academy received unanimous approval for its architecture, building height and signage from Wellington’s Architectural Review Board on Sept. 27, setting the stage for the redevelopment of a long-aging property that Wellington staff have said is underused.
Bostic of the Washington Commanders grew up in Wellington, frequently comes back to donate his time to local young people and graduated from Palm Beach Central High School.
A rendering of the Wellington Sports Academy. [Village of Wellington planning documents] He was not present at the Sept. 27 meeting, though he has attended several council meetings where plans for the academy were on the agenda.
“Wellington really needed something like this,” board member Maria Antuña said.
The project is the result of a public-private partnership between Wellington and Bostic’s team with Wellington Athletics LLC, which hopes to open the facility in August 2024, a timeline one of his planners called “aggressive” during a March council meeting.
Once completed, the project will include:
- Seven indoor basketball courts that can be converted to 13 volleyball courts
- A multi-purpose turf field
- A turf baseball field and a turf softball field
- A 9,706-square-foot indoor baseball and softball complex with eight batting tunnels
- A 13,511-square-foot membership-based weight room
- A 6,687-square-foot performance gym
- A 14,625-square-foot cheerleading gym
- A recovery center with hot tubs, cold tubs, saunas and steam rooms
- A full-service cafe
- An e-sports gaming lounge
- A 2700-square-foot orthopedics and physical therapy office
- A 1,300-square-foot chiropractic office
The council earlier this year approved a $33.3 million public improvement bond issuance for the design and construction of the academy. Wellington essentially used its strong financial position to back the bonds, which Wellington Athletics will repay.
This is a project several years in the works, with Bostic leading a team of planners, lawyers, engineers, sports professionals and architects, alongside Wellington officials and staff.
According to Wellington’s planning portal, a demolition permit was issued in July. Final checks of the site must be completed before the main structure can be torn down.
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National Literacy Month: An ode to our local libraries, and the time I helped to save one
I wish I could still pull off bangs like that. If you know me, you probably know that I’m very passionate about public libraries.
But you might not know how this all started.
I grew up going first to the local libraries where we lived in Massachusetts, and then to Palm Beach County’s libraries when we moved back to Florida when I was 9.
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Some of my earliest memories involve story time at the library in Maynard, Massachusetts. I recall sitting rapt as Ms. Elizabeth – town librarian Elizabeth Drake – read to us, the dust jacket of the picture book in her hands crinkling. That remains one of my favorite sounds.
In 1991, when I was 5 years old, Massachusetts struggled to get its financial footing following the recession that hit the U.S. the previous year. Local governments and the state faced massive budget cuts.
In Maynard, town officials made a difficult call: They put funding the library up for a vote. If the vote failed, the library would close.
My mom told my sister and me about this. I remember her trying to explain in detail what a Proposition 2 1/2 override was, and realizing that it meant the library would close. I knew I had to do something. I wondered what we would do without Ms. Elizabeth’s story times.
I had a My Little Pony bank that I named Sarah, and I had stuffed it with coins in hopes of buying a new Barbie.
READ MORE: National Literacy Month: Wellington school wins grant to buy diverse books
Instead, I took Sarah to my mom and told her that I wanted to give it to Ms. Elizabeth. Maybe the money in Sarah could save the library. If the library needed money to stay open, maybe my money could help.
Mom only asked once if I was certain about my decision. When I said yes, she drove us to the library and we dropped off Sarah with a note: This is for the library. Please don’t close.
After finding Sarah, Ms. Elizabeth contacted the local newspaper, which wrote about my donation. A donation that amounted to about $12, but a donation nonetheless.
I was interviewed by reporter Lisa Coleman, who also took a photo of me with Sarah, handing her to Ms. Elizabeth. In the photo, I’m smiling like I have any idea what’s going on. I remember that as the shutter clicked, I wondered if I would get Sarah back after they emptied her. My mom brushed my hair into a half up-half down style and I had bangs, because a few months before I had cut off most of the hair from the front of my head. I had to wear headbands for months to hold back the chopped remains.
Somewhere in my house is that section of the newspaper. I tried in vain to find it both in my house and on Newspapers.com. (The photo above is an old one I recently found on my phone.) I’m sure it’s one of the many small local newspapers that was lost over the past two decades as print journalism budgets were slashed so quickly that archivists stood no chance to keep up with the pace of cuts.
When the article was printed, children from around Maynard flooded the library with piggy banks. The town was moved – and the library stayed open. Maynard Public Library even moved to a larger home in 2006.
When I was 5 years old, I helped to save my town’s library.
It’s weird to say that, but it’s true.
It also probably explains a lot about who I am and what I love. When I’m passionate about something, just try to stop me.
So, when I see articles about book bans and people calling for libraries to be defunded, my stomach flips.
I look at my son, who is about to turn 5, and I think about what he would miss out on in a world without libraries. I think about what he would do if he heard that our library branch could close. Would he collect quarters to help? Would he tell his friends to do the same?
Libraries are essential to our communities. They open doors to worlds and cultures and life experiences to which we may otherwise never have access.
I think about all of the amazing books that I’ve borrowed from libraries. About the summer I walked back and forth between our house on a hill and the library in Marlborough, Massachusetts, so I could renew my loan on “The Diary of Anne Frank” over and over and over. About the first time I was told by a librarian that I couldn’t borrow so many books by one author, as my arms were full with every book I could grab in the Berenstain Bears series.
Then I think about my son, doing a happy dance as I stand with a librarian in the children’s nonfiction section because we are looking for books about elevators.
Why would we deprive our children of such joy? Of the magic of discovery and exploration? Of the thrill of opening a book and being hooked by the first line?
Even now, there are books that capture that magic for me. When I read 122 books in 2016, most of those were borrowed from the library. (You can click here to see the list of books I read that year. Yes, I tracked them on a spreadsheet, because I’m a giant nerd.)
So let’s take a note from 5-year-old Kristina, shall we?
We need books. Let’s not close those doors.
Free resources available from the Palm Beach County Library System
- Free access to ebooks and audiobooks.
- Free access to TV shows, movies and music albums.
- Free access to ABCmouse.com, a great at-home learning tool for children.
- In-person and virtual classes on a number of topics, including English and Spanish, technology and more.
- Meeting rooms available to book for free.
- Help applying for and renewing passports.
- The free Book Club in a Bag program.
- The Books-By-Mail service, which is available to library card holders who can’t visit a branch because of a physical disability, long-term illness or lack of transportation.
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