Wellington committee recommends denial of Isla Carroll PUD; residents and USPA spar over long‑term protections for polo field

The Equestrian Preserve Committee on Oct. 22 recommended denial of a rezoning and master plan application for the Isla Carroll Polo & Residences planned unit development (PUD), concluding a lengthy public hearing that brought developers, the United States Polo Association (USPA) and dozens of residents to the podium.

Applicant representatives led by Ed DeVita of Discovery Land Company and counsel Seth Bain described a master plan that preserves the historic Isla Carroll East polo field and proposes 40 residential lots and a 31.32‑acre club/amenity pod with a polo venue, clubhouse and related facilities. The applicant presented a letter of intent (LOI) with the USPA to license the field for USPA matches and to share maintenance; attorney Neil Shiller for the applicant told the committee the team will proffer a deed restriction that would require a super‑majority vote of the Village Council to amend, and he said the applicant will not advance the project to Village Council without a signed agreement with USPA.

“Preserving Isla Carroll East as equestrian open space is the primary goal of our plan,” applicant partner Ed DeVita said, describing an agreement with architects and the USPA and saying the project would “strengthen Wellington’s status as a premier international home of polo.”…