WELINGTON — A longtime advocate for Wellington’s equestrian preserve has died from injuries she sustained in a crash along Forest Hill Boulevard this month, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.
Investigators said Cynthia Gardner, 71, died on Monday, Sept. 16, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach , five days after a 17-year-old driver struck her car near Block Island Road.
A Realtor known for her witty one-liners, Gardner came to Wellington from Chicago nearly 50 years ago, drawn by its open horse fields and its affection for polo. She worked with village founder Ken Adams to draft the Equestrian Preserve’s Overlay Zoning District, which regulates development in the 9,000-acre area along Pierson Road, said Victoria McCullough, the owner of Mida Farms.
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Most recently, she was an outspoken opponent of the efforts of Wellington Lifestyle Partners , a company tied to equestrian entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo, to win approval to build two luxury home communities in the preserve. The Village Council approved the plans, which also will bring Wellington a new competition venue .