Wellington EPC narrows draft guiding principles, prioritizes land preservation and bridle-trail safety and defers formal definition of “equestrian lifestyle”

The Equestrian Preserve Committee on Feb. 5 advanced a revised draft of guiding principles focused on preserving equestrian land, improving safety where horses meet traffic, and building infrastructure to support Wellington’s equestrian community while postponing a formal definition of “equestrian lifestyle.”

Committee members said the document is meant as guidance the Village Council can use when proposals touch the Equestrian Overlay zoning district, not as a regulatory code. "The intent here was...they've asked us to give them guidance so that as anything equestrian related within all of Wellington comes before them," the committee chair said during the meeting.

That context guided most of the evening’s discussion: participants moved language that places preservation of equestrian land and the bridle‑trail network at the top of priorities; clarified that minimum lot sizes in the Land Development Regulations (LDRs) should be enforced (2, 5 and 10 acre minimums are cited in the LDRs); and sought language that would discourage dense residential or country‑club style development inside the Equestrian Overlay.

Committee members and staff debated how directive the guidance should be. Jonathan, a staff member who prepared the draft, told…