Daily Business Review
  June 7, 2000
  By Susan Salisbury  

  Development plans are quickly taking shape for one of Wellingtonıs last large 
  parcels, the former 300-acre Flying Orange Ranch on the north side of Lake Worth 
  Road, west of U.S. 441. 
  
  The land is prime parcel because it lies between tract 
  housing and commercial development to the east and high-end polo and equestrian 
  estates to the west, said Mark Egloff, a broker with Atlantic Western Realty 
  Corp. based in Palm Springs. 

  Half of the former grove is expected to become 
  an equestrian-oriented development featuring 138 houses on lots just under a 
  half-acre on its eastern 100 acres and 10 5-acre lots suitable for barns and 
  centered around a polo field on its western side. 

  The rest of the land continues 
  to be held by polo player and air-conditioning manufacturing mogul John Goodman; 
  his wife, Carroll; and Tim Gannon, one of the Outback Steakhouse founders, who 
  has built a polo facility there. 

  The developments are part of the 20-year trend 
  of equestrian-related growth that has occurred in Wellington since Palm Beach 
  Polo and Country Club began there in the late ı70s. A year ago, Southeast Reclamation 
  Corp. of Miami purchased 150 acres of the former grove from Pacific Florida 
  Holdings for $1.65 million, according to Palm Beach County property records. 
  Southeastıs officials asked Atlantic Western to come up with a development plan 
  for the land. 

  ³Thereıs a lot of development up and down U.S 441. To the south 
  and west, thereıs an equestrian presence. This was sort of the hole in the donut,² 
  Egloff said. ³Itıs strategic in terms of development. Itıs a transition piece.² 
  The land could have been re-zoned and developed into more tract housing, consisting 
  of single-family houses on small lots. Instead, Egloff and Atlantic Westernıs 
  president, Brad Scherer, envisioned building houses on the eastern portion only, 
  with the western portion focused on polo. The intent was to bridge the gap between 
  the equestrian atmosphere of the south district of Wellington and the encroaching 
  development from the east, Egloff said. 

  Dubbed the Wellington Polo & Equestrian 
  Club, the development is expected to receive final approval from the Wellington 
  City Council within the next 30 days.Scherer said, ³The whole project, when 
  it is done, will be seamless from the road. There will be one entrance.² 

  Atlantic Western will market the 5-acre, polo field side lots at $500,000 each, Scherer 
  said. Southeast has the 100 eastern-most acres under contract to Brighton Homes 
  Development Corp. of Miami, which will build the houses. Chief financial officer/vice 
  president Michael Rabin said Brighton plans to build houses priced at $300,000 
  and up. He hopes construction will start before the end of the year. ³Our plan 
  is instead of doing a typical tract development, we will build an equestrian-themed 
  development with a riding trail going through.It will be higher-end than what 
  we typically do,² Rabin said. 

  Brighton entered the Palm Beach County market 
  about 18 months ago when it purchased land at Hypoluxo and Lawrence Roads for 
  the Vineyards, a development of 137 zero-lot-line houses priced from $160,000 
  to $200,000. Brighton has three other developments in Palm Beach County. ³We 
  can do more in Palm Beach County than in Miami-Dade. Thereıs more flexibility 
  because we have a little bit bigger lots,² Rabin said.