Equestrian Preserve Committee advances first reading of Bridal Trails plan, prioritizes safety fixes and signage

The Equestrian Preserve Committee held a first reading of the Bridal Trails capital improvement plan on April 9, reviewing projects scheduled across fiscal years 2026–2029 and signaling support for moving several safety upgrades into the first‑year budget.

Committee members heard that the Pearson Road signal is under design and that the Brown Trail in Paddock Park has full consultant plans in village review, with procurement aimed for next month. Jonathan (staff) said a prior engineer’s estimate for the Pearson Road signal ranged from $400,000 to $600,000 and that the Brown Trail work is expected to be ready for summer 2026.

The discussion moved to an assortment of trail projects, including reopening a blocked “gray” trail along the west side of the National Polo Center by adding roughly a quarter mile of fence, footing improvements on the White Trail north of the C‑24 canal, and an Acme Road project to connect into the FPL trail. Jonathan told the committee the gray‑trail reestablishment would be a conservative $100,000–$150,000 estimate but cautioned that canal or drainage improvements could increase costs.

A separate item drew particular attention: a safety “pinch point” behind the pump station at Ousley Circle and Greenbrier. A presenter from the Winding Trails HOA, Casas, said alarms and a steep drop into a guardrail have contributed to at least two horse injuries at that location and described a conceptual remedy — lengthening the culvert and adding fill to create a safer passage — with an engineering estimate in the $350,000–$400,000 range. "We had a horse that was right in that area. Alarm went off, horse reared, and actually cracked its coccyx," Casas said, citing injuries and urging the committee to prioritize the fix.

Committee members responded that the pump‑station repair appears to be a cost‑effective safety upgrade and indicated they would support moving it into year 1 if staff can identify cross‑program funding. Jonathan said the town would likely split the cost among Bridal Trail, surface‑water and transportation programs rather than charging the entire amount to the trail budget.

Public comment focused on conflicts between cyclists and equestrians on a narrow multimodal portion of the yellow trail near Palm Beach Point and Flying Cow Ranch Road. Jenny Carlson told the committee that groups of cyclists frequently ride two to five abreast and have spooked horses, pushing riders toward the canal. "I would love to see the village put up signs that say, period, horses have right of way, period, at both ends of that" narrow section, Carlson said, calling large yellow signage an inexpensive interim mitigation.

Jonathan acknowledged the problem and noted that the paved portion of the multimodal path is typically eight feet (the minimum for golf carts) while the bridal‑trail width target is ten feet; he said roughly half of the narrow segment falls below that 10‑foot target. Staff recommended several short‑term responses: post clearer trailhead signage explaining horse right‑of‑way, publish the engineering or code hotline numbers on the village website, and consider interim pavement shifts or small separations to reduce five‑abreast cycling in pinch points. He agreed to provide contact information and to follow up on property‑line surveys and cost estimates for any canal‑fill work.

Committee members also discussed outreach and data collection to inform longer‑term decisions. The committee supported developing a higher‑quality survey instrument with a consultant and using the village 'flash vote' or partner mailing lists to reach both residents and nonresident equestrians who use Wellington’s trails and showgrounds; staff said the flash‑vote panel has about 500 signed‑up addresses and typically returns 250–300 responses.

The committee asked staff to revise project descriptions to explicitly include fencing, footing and drainage as needed and to recirculate the equestrian master plan and prior council workshop materials for review before the next meeting. Staff said the preliminary budget process is under way and that the capital budget will be finalized later in the summer and presented to council in the June–September budget cycle.

The committee opened and closed public comment during the meeting and approved the minutes of the previous meeting. Members slated the safety‑enhancement work and the small, low‑cost Winding Trails connector for further consideration in the year‑one schedule if budgets allow. The committee adjourned and scheduled its next meeting for May 3, when representatives from Wellington Lifestyle Partners and the horse show are expected to present.

The committee’s next steps include clarifying the scope and cost estimates for proposed projects (fencing, canal work, shelters/watering stations), developing a robust survey to capture equestrian and community preferences, and evaluating interim signage or pavement realignment to reduce multimodal conflicts while larger capital fixes are scoped and budgeted.