If you tour a Rustic Ranches farm this winter and see RVs parked behind the hedge with grooms living in them, that is not a fixture of the property. It is an annual permit held by the current owner. Wellington is now rewriting the rule behind those RVs so that the number allowed on a property would depend on one figure: how many stalls its permanent barn has.
The proposal is Ordinance No. 2026-18. It would let properties in the Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District, the western Wellington neighborhood off Flying Cow Ranch Road, use RVs as grooms' quarters at a rate of one RV for every four stalls of a permanent barn or stable, up to four RVs. If the ordinance passes, anyone buying or selling a working farm in Rustic Ranches will need to judge the barn by how many people it can house as well as how many horses it can hold.
Twenty years of a rule that kept loosening
The ordinance is the latest step in a steady loosening of the rules. Rustic Ranches came into Wellington in 2004. The 2006 neighborhood plan limited RVs used as temporary residences to two consecutive weeks a year.
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Wellington annexes Rustic Ranches |
| 2006 | Neighborhood plan allows RV residence for two weeks per year |
| 2019 | Rest of the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District allows RVs for six months on properties of five acres or more; Rustic Ranches excluded |
| Dec. 9, 2025 | Village Council unanimously extends the six-month rule to Rustic Ranches |
| July 28, 2026 | Council approves a 180-day Zoning in Progress on RVs in Rustic Ranches |
| Oct. 7, 2026 | Equestrian Preserve Committee recommends Ordinance 2026-18, 7–0 |
| Oct. 21, 2026 | Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board hearing scheduled |
| To be set | Two Village Council readings |
At the December 2025 vote, Village Manager Jim Barnes said a large part of the neighborhood wanted a much broader revision, according to the Town-Crier. Staff chose to bring Rustic Ranches in line with the rest of the overlay district first. That broader request has now come back. Planning, Zoning & Building Director Tim Stillings told the committee that Rustic Ranches had asked for the standard overlay rules expecting to "be coming later with a request for expanded use, which is what is before you," the Town-Crier reported.
The current rule depends on lot size and the season. The proposed rule depends on the barn.
The ratio counts built quarters too
The village staff report says the proposal is modeled on the existing grooms' quarters calculation of one groom's quarter per four stalls. The draft spells out the key detail. RVs and permanent grooms' quarters count against the same cap, and one built groom's quarter counts the same as one RV.
So a farm's RV allowance is whatever is left after subtracting the staff housing it already has. Applying the draft language to a few typical layouts:
| Permanent stalls | Built grooms' quarters | RVs the draft would allow |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 12 | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | 0 | 4 |
| 24 | 0 | 4, the cap |
A farm that already built apartments over the barn gains little from the new rule. A large barn reaches the four-RV cap at 16 stalls, so a 24-stall barn gets the same RV allowance as a 16-stall one. The draft counts stalls "of a permanent barn or stable," which means temporary stabling does not add to the figure.
What the permit carries, and what it doesn't
Because the allowance runs through an annual Equestrian Permit, the staff housing depends on how the property is permitted each year, not on what is parked there. Under the draft:
- Occupancy. Two people per RV, whatever its size. Occupants must be staff, such as grooms and trainers, and their families. RVs may not be rented to anyone else, and the owner confirms this in writing on the permit.
- Season. One RV may be occupied year-round. All others are limited to November through April and must be vacated from May to October. The village may inspect, if requested, to confirm they are empty.
- Utilities. Permitted water and wastewater connections, or a copy of a service contract, must be submitted with the permit. Palm Beach County Health Department rules and the Florida Building Code apply.
- Siting. RVs must meet principal-structure setbacks, sit at least 10 feet apart and be screened from roads and neighbors by hedge, opaque fence or permanent structures. Off-season storage must meet the same screening and setback rules.
The utility requirement carries real cost. A farm with plumbed and permitted RV pads is a different asset from a farm with a gravel apron and an extension cord, even when both show the same number of RVs in a listing photo.
The renewal cap the committee removed
As originally drafted, the permit could be renewed five times before it needed Village Council approval. Stillings explained that the cap was meant to push owners who rely on RVs year after year toward building permanent grooms' quarters, according to the Town-Crier.
Committee members did not support the cap, as the Town-Crier reported. "If you renew it for five years, you should be, in my opinion, able to renew it forever," Vice Chair Dr. Kristy Lund said. Committee member Ash Atkinson explained the demand. "Most of us like to have our grooms on the property, of course, for safety for the horses and just for them to be there to monitor everything that's going on," he said. "But trying to find housing that's somewhere in Wellington that isn't a crazy amount of money is just unrealistic."
The committee's 7–0 recommendation removed the renewal limit and the Council approval step. Whether that change survives is up to the Council. The answer matters for valuation. Without a cap, RV quarters work as a lasting part of a farm's operation. With a cap, they are a stopgap on the way to a construction project.
The freeze already in effect
The new rule is not yet law, but a related one already applies. The Zoning in Progress resolution the Council approved on July 28, 2026 lasts 180 calendar days, or until the amendment is adopted or denied, whichever comes first. While it is in effect, Wellington will not issue permits that would result in a nonconforming or unlawful use if the amendment is adopted. The Council can also extend it.
Counting 180 days from July 28 puts the end date in late January 2027, the middle of the winter season, when the seasonal RVs are in use. As of the staff report prepared for the Oct. 21 board meeting, both Council readings showed dates "TBD." Anyone signing a contract on a Rustic Ranches farm this fall is buying during an open rule change.
Questions to settle before contract
For buyers, and for sellers getting ahead of those questions, staff housing in Rustic Ranches comes down to a short list:
- How many stalls are in a permanent barn or stable, as opposed to temporary stabling?
- How many permanent grooms' quarters are built and permitted, and how many RV slots do they use up under the ratio?
- Is there a current Equestrian Permit for RVs, and what does it cover?
- Are water and wastewater connections for the RV positions permitted, or is service handled by contract?
- Do the RV positions meet setback, spacing and screening rules?
- Where does Ordinance 2026-18 stand at the Council on the closing date?
This is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm how any rule applies to a specific property with the Village of Wellington's Planning and Zoning Division and your own attorney.
FAQ
Would this apply elsewhere in Wellington's Equestrian Overlay? The Town-Crier reported that there are currently no plans to extend the expanded RV use to the rest of the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District. In the same report, village staff said they had paused a separate effort to expand the Equestrian Preserve Area and Overlay to properties west of Flying Cow Ranch Road and south of Rustic Ranches, after owners in that area objected.
Can an owner rent RV space to people outside the operation? Not under the draft. Occupancy is limited to equestrian staff and their families, and RVs "shall not be rented for housing of any other individuals."
Does the change conflict with recent state law? The staff report says the amendment does not conflict with SB 180, because it is less restrictive than the current rules.
Stall counts, permitted quarters and RV pads are things you can measure on a farm walk, and they will affect what a Rustic Ranches property is worth to the next trainer who runs it. If you are pricing a farm off Flying Cow Ranch Road this season, or considering one before the Council votes, Matt Johnson can walk the barn with you and review its staff housing permits before you commit. Request a Private Consultation.
