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Dear Venetian Isles Resident:
At a VIHA meeting on September 6, 2016, the VIHA Traffic Calming Committee presented a motion to the board recommending a “speed table” be applied to Overlook Drive to reduce excessive speeds, which had been confirmed in a traffic study conducted by the City of St. Petersburg. The VIHA Board had been advised by the City that to facilitate the installation of the speed table, the City required (i) a petition signed by the requisite number of residents of Overlook Drive and (ii) a motion from the Homeowners’ Association. The motion was made, seconded and discussed at the September 6 meeting. At the conclusion of the discussion, the VIHA Board voted in “favor” of the motion advanced by the Traffic Calming Committee. I sent a letter to the City confirming that the VIHA Board had approved the motion and described this process in the September President’s Letter, which was printed and delivered to each resident as well as being made available on the website. Shortly thereafter, a limited number of persons, not all of whom were residents of Venetian Isles, took to social media, particularly the website “NextDoor.” I do not, and will not, engage in any business pertaining to Venetian Isles via social media. Social media certainly has a valued purpose in our community but “discussion” of complex issues is not one of them. On Tuesday, September 20, the City sent an email to the chair of the Traffic Calming Committee and myself saying that their previous communication to the VIHA Board was incorrect and that in addition to the vote by the VIHA Board and signed petitions, they also needed a neighborhood survey completed. The City thought that a survey had been conducted in 2009; however, in checking their files, they found this not to be the case. As a result, this matter will be referred back to the Traffic Calming Committee for further review. If the committee recommends we move forward with a traffic calming plan, the City will send a survey to VI residents allowing them to vote on such a plan. I encourage you to attend the social hour at 6:00 pm on November 3, which precedes the General Meeting, where there will be further rational discussion of the traffic calming situation. In the meantime, I hope that you will be able to attend Oktoberfest on October 15 on Kansas South. Tickets are $10.00 per adult with children under 18 free, as long as they are accompanied by an adult. Tickets are available from your Block Captain or from Julie Scanlon who can be reached at 525-0477. Also, I hope you have noticed the installation of the Royal Palms adjacent to the Overlook Drive bridge. This improvement to our neighborhood was made possible by the Beautification Committee chaired by Lisa Schwartz. As always, should you have a comment or concern about life in Venetian Isles you can reach me at rscanlon@ourvi.org or at 525-0477. I apologize for any upset that this set of circumstances may have caused within the community. Thank you. Rich Comments are closed.
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