Wellington Town Planning Commission recommends approval for Wellington Downs 20‑unit minor subdivision

The Wellington Town Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a minor subdivision plat and final site plan for Wellington Downs, a proposed 20‑unit apartment project at 4101 Jefferson Avenue.

Bridal Lenore, Planner 3 with the Town of Wellington planning department, told the commission the project proposes three buildings (two six‑unit buildings and one eight‑unit building) on a 1.3‑acre outlot and would add 20 rental units to town housing stock. Lenore said the site plan includes new landscaping, off‑street parking, designated open space and a trail connection, and that the proposal meets the comprehensive plan and C‑3 (Mixed Use Commercial) zone density allowances.

Lenore recommended approval subject to standard conditions, including revisions to the photometric plan to show a streetlight at the driveway entrance, review and potential relocation of the EV charging pedestal to avoid pedestrian impacts, submission of stamped engineering design plans, and approval from the Wellington Fire Protection District for a proposed 2‑inch fire line modification. “Staff recommends approval of the site plan as it meets the findings for approval subject to the conditions on the screen,” Lenore said.

Applicant Morgan Kidder, representing owner Wellington Downs Investments, said the buildings will be consistent with existing Wellington Downs apartments with minor code‑driven modifications, that the proposal provides the 26 required off‑street parking spaces (including state‑mandated EV‑ready stalls), and that the combined on‑site and adjacent open space would create direct trail connections to nearby parks. Kidder said the applicant expects to resubmit corrected plans within days to address staff comments.

During public comment, Melissa White house of 3922 Grant Avenue asked whether shifting the east building could consolidate parking and reduce the risk of on‑street parking on Jefferson Avenue. Connor Griffin, a civil engineer with Avant Civil Group, explained the driveway alignment and said on‑site circulation is required to meet emergency‑vehicle turning and access standards; moving the access east would create conflicting turning movements with adjacent drives.

Commissioners discussed open‑space layout and parking tightness for larger trucks but agreed the site complies with code and town standards. The commission moved to recommend approval of the Outlot A minor subdivision and to approve the final site plan concurrently, adopting staff findings and the staff‑recommended conditions. A roll call vote passed the motion; staff said the Board of Trustees public hearing on the plat is scheduled for March 24.

Next steps: the planning commission’s recommendation and the revised plans will be considered at the Board of Trustees public hearing on March 24. The planning commission’s approval of the site plan is final at the commission level, subject to the listed conditions and the fire‑district engineering signoff.