Rustic Ranches RV Rules in Wellington FL: Grooms' Housing Plan Explained

More RVs in Rustic Ranches? Wellington's Latest Neighborhood Debate

Horse owners in Rustic Ranches, the equestrian neighborhood off Flying Cow Ranch Road in western Wellington, could soon be allowed to keep up to four RVs on their land as housing for grooms. Wellington's Equestrian Preserve Committee unanimously recommended the change on Oct. 7, 2026, and the Village Council gets the final vote. Supporters say it's a practical answer to the cost of housing the people who care for horses. Others have long worried about how much living space Wellington's horse properties should hold. Here's what's proposed and what each side has said.

The proposal at a glance

Where: The Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District, off Flying Cow Ranch Road in western Wellington
What: One RV per four permanent stalls, up to four per property, used as grooms' housing
Year-round?: One RV could be lived in all year; the others only during the equestrian season
Rules: Up to two people per RV, RVs screened from view, permitted water and wastewater hookups (or a third-party service contract), and a $600 permit renewed every year
Status: Recommended unanimously by the Equestrian Preserve Committee on Oct. 7, 2026; the Village Council will vote at a later date

How Rustic Ranches got here

Wellington annexed Rustic Ranches in 2004, and the neighborhood's overlay district was created in 2006. Back then, owners could use an RV as a temporary residence for only two consecutive weeks a year.

In December 2025, the Village Council unanimously brought Rustic Ranches in line with the rest of Wellington's Equestrian Overlay Zoning District, allowing one or two RVs, depending on property size, during the season with a permit. Village Manager Jim Barnes told the council at the time that many residents wanted more. "There's actually a large component of that neighborhood and that community that actually would prefer a far more extensive revision," he said, according to the Town-Crier.

This new ordinance is that bigger request. "Rustic [Ranches] had requested to be put under the same regulations as the rest of the equestrian overlay as it related to the use of RVs, with the expectation that they would be coming later with a request for expanded use, which is what is before you," Planning, Zoning & Building Director Tim Stillings told the committee.

What would change

More RVs: one per four permanent stalls, up to four per property. RVs and permanent grooms' quarters together can't exceed that same ratio or four units total.
One year-round RV: one RV could be occupied all year; any others only during the season.
Guardrails: up to two people per RV, the RVs must be screened from view, and owners need permitted water and wastewater connections or a contract with a service company.
The permit: $600 a year. The draft would have required council approval after five renewals, but the committee recommended dropping that cap.
Only Rustic Ranches: there are no current plans to extend the change to the rest of the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District.

The case for more RVs

Horse care needs people on site. "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," Committee Member Ash Atkinson said.
Housing costs. "Trying to find housing that's somewhere in Wellington that isn't a crazy amount of money is just unrealistic," Atkinson added.
The neighbors asked for it. Village staff said the request came from Rustic Ranches property owners themselves, and the 2025 change passed unanimously at every level.
A permanent permit makes sense. "If you renew it for five years, you should be, in my opinion, able to renew it forever," Committee Vice Chair Dr. Kristy Lund said of the proposed five-year cap.

The case for caution

Temporary vs. permanent. Stillings explained that the five-year cap was meant to nudge owners who need RVs year after year toward building permanent grooms' quarters instead. Removing it means RVs could stay indefinitely.
How much housing on horse land? Density on equestrian properties has been debated in Wellington for years. When the village looked at expanding grooms' quarters in 2013, then-zoning board member Marcia Radosevich warned that on some lots the math could add up to "multi-family housing," the Town-Crier reported.
Appearance and utilities. The ordinance itself reflects these worries: RVs have to be screened from view, and each one needs permitted water and wastewater service.
Consistency. When the council approved the 2025 change, Barnes said staff's goal was to keep rules across the equestrian district "consistent and the same." This proposal would give Rustic Ranches its own, looser rules.

What happens next

The ordinance now goes to the Village Council, which has the final say. Watch the council agenda for the hearing date. In the same meeting, village staff said they had paused a separate effort to expand the Equestrian Preserve boundaries west of Flying Cow Ranch Road after objections from property owners there.

What do you think?

Is this a smart, practical fix for housing the grooms who keep Wellington's horse industry running, or should more RVs on equestrian land be temporary only? For more on how Wellington's horse country is changing, see the Wellington International expansion and the fight over the Isla Carroll polo field.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Rustic Ranches RV proposal?

A proposed Wellington ordinance that would let property owners in the Rustic Ranches Overlay Zoning District use one RV per four permanent stalls, up to four per property, as housing for grooms.

Where is Rustic Ranches in Wellington?

Rustic Ranches is an equestrian neighborhood off Flying Cow Ranch Road in western Wellington. It was annexed into Wellington in 2004.

Has the Rustic Ranches RV ordinance been approved?

Not yet. The Equestrian Preserve Committee unanimously recommended it on Oct. 7, 2026. The Wellington Village Council will vote on it at a later date.

How much is an RV permit in Rustic Ranches?

The permit costs $600 and must be renewed every year, according to the Town-Crier.