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Residents report chronic trespass, vandalism at park canal; another resident raises zoning and manure-transfer concerns
Summary
During public comment residents described repeated trespass and harassment at a park backing onto a canal and reported dogs, bikes and bad behavior; another speaker raised zoning and alleged commercial trailer-parking and manure-transfer operations under legal scrutiny.
Several residents used the public-comment portion of Tuesday’s Wellington council meeting to report ongoing trespass and nuisance issues at a neighborhood park that backs to a canal and to raise a separate zoning concern tied to commercial trailer parking and a manure-transfer operation.
At the podium, residents living on Essex Drive said park users from the adjacent park regularly come onto private backyards, remove fruit, climb trees, fish, leave trash and create noise late into the evening. Speakers described repeated incidents involving children and dogs approaching pools and private yards and said previous informal efforts to stop activity had failed. Residents asked the village and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to increase enforcement and consider deterrents such as cameras or fencing; law-enforcement personnel in the meeting said officers would follow up and that the sheriff’s office has used village park cameras successfully for investigations elsewhere.
A second commenter said a large property with barns and trailer parking (used by equestrian events) had been the subject of complaints, alleging the owner charges to park trailers and operates a ‘‘manure transfer station’’ on a parcel that is largely classified agricultural but contains non-AG parcels. The speaker said he had shared an email and property records with council staff and noted litigation and staff review related to the property; staff confirmed there is ongoing litigation and said the village would continue to investigate within the limits of the pending legal process.
Staff response and next steps: Village staff and PBSO told the speakers they would follow up. Staff noted park-camera deployment is in progress across village parks and that officers have used camera footage to identify subjects in prior incidents. On the zoning complaint, staff said the issue is under legal review and that litigation limits what staff can say publicly at the dais.
No council action was taken during the meeting; staff committed to follow up with residents and to coordinate with PBSO on enforcement and deterrence options.
