September 2021

Dear VI Residents:
 
This letter is being posted shortly after Labor Day which, if you are from “up north” like I am, you remember as the last day of summer vacation and when the temperatures begin to fall. In Venetian Isles we know it signals the last few weeks of hurricane season where the potential exists for the most extreme storms. If you are new to this community, please take the time to follow the hurricane preparedness measures that you can find on the City or County websites.
 
My July 30 letter to the community provided notice that the revitalization of the VIHA Declaration of Restrictive & Protective Covenants was approved by the Department of Economic Opportunity which means that the Deed Restrictions (“DR”) are back in force. Qualified Property Management and the members of the DR Committee (“DRC”) have resumed addressing DR violations. One of the more significant violations that has been noted is the number of boat trailers/recreational vehicles that have been parked on driveways or adjacent to homes. Just a reminder that:

• DR 34 precludes the parking of boat trailers, etc… overnight unless they are in an enclosed garage.  The same DR prohibits parking of such vehicles in the street as well; and,
• Section 26 – 150 of the City Code prohibits parking in residential areas for “domestic equipment,” which includes the items listed in DR 34, “for more than four consecutive hours from 8 AM on Monday through 4 PM on Thursday, and any time from 4 PM on Thursday until 8 AM on the following Monday.”

 
If you have a boat trailer, or other such item, please be considerate of your neighbors and make arrangements for the storage of that item outside of Venetian Isles.
 
Also, if you are planning on completing any renovations to the exterior of your property, please review the Architectural Review Committee material on the website at http://www.ourvi.org/architectural-review.html which outlines the approval process including documentation requirements and timing.
  
Several other things to bring to your attention:

• Due to continuing COVID Related concerns, the Oktoberfest will be rescheduled for later in 2021 as, we hope, conditions will improve;

 

• The Beautification Committee has begun the process of replacing the dead Foxtail Palms along Grand Canal Boulevard with Silver Buttonwood Trees.  This decision was made in consultation with the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Soil Testing Laboratory along with additional input from a native plant nursery.  The conditions along Grand Canal provided too difficult of an environment for the Foxtail Palms to thrive so we will continue to replace them as they die off;

 

• We want to keep our focus on updating the DRs, as I have mentioned several times in prior communications; however, the Board does not feel that conditions are appropriate to call a Town Hall meeting at the present time. We look forward to having this community discussion within the next few months.  Please stay tuned;

 

• Finally, nominations for the VIHA Board of Directors will open on October 15, 2021 through November 30. If you are new to the community, or just feel it is time for you to get involved, please consider becoming a member of the Board – we are always looking for new ideas!!!! Nomination forms will be posted on our website soon but please reach out to me or any of the current Board Members for more information.

 
Hope you have had a great summer and look forward to seeing you “around the Isles!!!”
 
Rich Scanlon
VIHA President
[email protected]