April 8, 2017

April 8, 2017
"State of the Isles"
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Dear Neighbor: 

Spring is a time for change and there is change aplenty happening in VI. The real estate market is hot and so far in 2017 a total of seven homes have sold within VI. Take the opportunity to welcome your new neighbors to VI. Change is also starting to occur within the Venetian Isles Homeowners Association (more on that to come in future Presidents’ Letters) and after an online resident survey we have a new logo that is shown at the top of this letter. Although the voting between “Option A” and “Option C” was very close, Option C won by a “wavelength.” If you have ideas on other things that are due for change, please let me know. Expect to see another survey in the next few days pertaining to items that the VIHA Board should focus on.

Another one of the changes in the community that I hope you have noticed is the award for Property of the Month. Streets are randomly selected and a group of volunteers has the unenviable task of selecting which house on that street stands out from all the rest – tough choices for sure. The winner receives a gift certificate courtesy of Dolan’s Nursery and the “Property of the Month” sign which is displayed prominently. The winners for 2017 to date are:

- January – Prewitt and Peggy Pace – 2081 Michigan Ave.
- February – Trevor and Shannon Zetrouer – 2032 Massachusetts Ave.
- March – Horst and Rita Brands – 1998 Illinois Ave.
- April – David and Michelle Payne – 2058 Kansas Ave.

Congratulations to each of the above and “thank you” for taking extraordinary care of your properties. See photos of all the winners on www.ourvi.org and under “News and Events” look for “2017 Properties of the Month.”

Upcoming Events:

- May 4 – Town Hall Meeting at 6:00pm at LCC re: Traffic Calming with Mike Frederick
- May 8 – VIHA Board Meeting
- October TBD – return of Oktoberfest, bigger and better than last year

Here are some questions that I get asked all the time and some quick answers, primarily for the benefit of some of our newer residents. As you all were informed when you purchased your property, VI is a Deed Restricted community. Please let me know if you’d like further information.

- Why do the houses on Point Overlook not have to comply with the Deed Restrictions? These 8 homes were not included when the Deed Restrictions were initially recorded in 1978. The Deed Restrictions are posted to www.ourvi.org, Residents, Deed Restrictions.

- How can the Deed Restrictions be amended? There are 525 properties within VI that are covered by the Deed Restrictions. Adding, deleting or amending a Deed Restriction requires approval of 66.67% of those properties. Admittedly, there are a number of Deed Restrictions that need to be updated and it will take quite an effort to accomplish. Part of the “change” that I referenced earlier in this letter.

- Nearly every property in VI has water access and it is a “boaters dream,” so why can’t I park my boat overnight in my driveway or in front of my house? Deed Restriction 34 specifically states that “No…boats, boat trailers,…shall be permitted to park overnight unless in an enclosed garage.” Parking boats and/or trailers on the street is also
prohibited.

- If I am planning to improve my property, what must I submit to the Architectural Review Committee for approval? Any improvement to the exterior of your property, including the roof must be submitted to ARC for approval. Remember that the ARC committee members are volunteers and have “day jobs” just like most of the rest of us so please give them enough lead time with your project submission to review on a timely basis and not lead to any delays in construction. A very detailed description can be found on www.ourvi.org, Residents, Architectural Review.

Other items to make sure you are aware of:

Security – remove your valuables from your car and lock your doors. Every week we get a report from the SPPD notifying us of another vehicle break in.

Committees – if you have just a few hours a month to dedicate to VI please volunteer for one of the VIHA Committees. The 2016 Oktoberfest was wholly the result of the work of a dedicated group of volunteers who worked hard, and had fun, planning and running this event. Plans for a VI fishing tournament this spring are still in the works. Please contact me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to assist you with joining the committee of your choice.

Email Addresses – Currently, we have email addresses for approximately 440 persons which represents approximately 360 properties within VI (there are a total of 532, including Pt. Overlook). Email is a far more efficient and effective way for us to communicate within VI. You can go to www.ourvi.org to register. The VIHA does not release the email addresses of our members for any purpose other than the furtherance of VI business and activities.

VI Based Businesses – if you are a VI resident who owns/operates a business consider becoming a “VI sponsor” which includes advertising in the Directory of Homeowners and on the website. Additional advertising opportunities in the Directory of Homeowners are also available. Information is available on www.ourvi.org.

2017 Membership Dues – invoices have been mailed to all the properties in VI. Annual dues remained at $120.00 again for 2017. You can pay your dues via Pay Pal by going to www.ourvi.org or by check. Please support the efforts of your homeowner’s association to maintain VI as the one of the highest quality neighborhoods in St. Petersburg!!! Members will receive a copy of the 2017 Directory of Homeowners.

Let me know of things that you see and hear in VI. Enjoy this beautiful time of the year!!!

Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
[email protected]