Board recommends Wellington Village master plan and rezoning for 71‑acre mixed‑use project with school, hotel and retail

The board on Jan. 21 voted unanimously to recommend approval of rezoning and a master plan for a 71.27‑acre mixed‑use project referred to in filings as “Kpark” or Wellington Village. Urban Design Studio’s lead presenter, Ken Toome, said the master plan rezones the site to a multiple use plan development (MUPD) and would create two primary pods: Pod A, a 43.76‑acre Windgrove Academy campus proposed for up to 1,750 students and approximately 405,000 square feet of building; and Pod B, a roughly 24‑acre commercial/residential village with retail, restaurants, a 180‑room hotel and phased multifamily (15 units initially, with up to 200 additional units subject to future review).

Traffic engineer Brian Kelly (Simmons & White) told the board the developer will fund “millions of dollars” in roadway improvements along Stribling Way and State Road 7, including added turn lanes, a new traffic signal at State Road 7, revised storage and a potential roundabout option. Kelly said the traffic study was reviewed by the village traffic consultant, Palm Beach County and FDOT, and that the improvements are designed to mitigate both existing failing conditions and the project’s impacts; the applicant also proposed more than one mile of internal stacking for the school circulation and staggered start times to limit peak congestion.

Jeff Clark, executive chair of Elevate Ed, described Windgrove Academy as a non‑religious, private K‑12 school with an expected tuition range of $40,000–$50,000, a projected project budget of about $270 million and a donor‑supported capital campaign and bond financing package. Clark said the school expects a $10 million annual financial aid budget and projected pledges and donor‑backed financing to help fund initial phases.

Board members pressed the applicant and staff on specifics: proportionate‑share percentages for off‑site intersection work, whether Stribling Way should be widened further, the location and design of a planned 25‑ft parking structure adjacent to Oakmont Estates, buffering and screening (masonry walls, landscape buffers and tree plantings), and whether Castellina’s entrance should be a roundabout or a signal. Residents raised concerns during public comment about property survey lines, buffers behind Farmington Estates, and potential noise or light spillover from athletic fields and evening events. The developer and applicant committed to follow up with neighborhood outreach, site survey coordination and additional design details.

The board recommended approval of the rezoning (ordinance 2026‑06 per the motion), the master plan resolution (R2026‑03) with suggested clarifications to the project standards manual (notably to show hardscape/streetscape details), and conditional uses for Pod A (school, R2026‑04) and Pod B (hotel, R2026‑05). All motions were recorded in the transcript as passing unanimously; staff noted conditions in the master plan including proportionate share payments, traffic improvements funded by the developer, annual parking monitoring for 10 years, tree in‑lieu payments, school‑board impact contributions and required site‑plan review for later phases. The board asked that the village traffic engineer (if available) be present at council review to answer lingering Stribling Way questions.

Votes at a glance: the board recommended approval of the rezoning, the master plan and both conditional uses; staff will forward the record and recommended conditions to council for final action.