Living in Toscana Isles is like residing in a little slice of paradise. We are blessed with beautiful lakes, a vibrant community, a wonderful clubhouse, pool, recreational amenities, and roads maintained diligently by our Homeowners Association (HOA). However, this paradise is under threat. The proposed development by the Meritage Group would not only encroach upon our peaceful neighborhood but also severely impact our already fragile ecosystem. We cannot allow this to happen.   In addition, we fear if the new development is approved, it will cause all the properties in TI and the surrounding areas to depreciate due to the environmental hardships that will be forthcoming. We feel we do not have the infrastructure to support another development abutting Toscana Isles for all of the following reasons

Firstly, the potential development poses significant risk to the environmental balance in our area. Our lakes and local ecosystems are already at risk due to ongoing water shortages. We have been compelled to regulate water usage as per City of Venice's restrictions, adjusting our watering schedules just to comply with the restrictions.   Our lakes also can be adversely affected.   This past summer we had a number of dead fish popping up in our lakes due to less oxygen due to warmer temperatures.   The addition of a new development, which will undoubtedly increase the demand for water, and it will strain our water sources further, threatening the very existence of the fish, flora and fauna supported by our local ecosystem.   More traffic in our development will increase the carbon dioxide levels in the immediate area and can potentially cause our lakes to get warmer and exacerbate to depletion of the oxygen levels needed to sustain our aquatic life.  

 Secondly, when we get a major storm the runoff of the water can flood the Toscana Isles development, that cannot be dissipated in undeveloped land, and it can lead to overflow from our lakes.   As we are all aware of global warming, we recognize our chances of getting hit with more significant storms will only be increasing. With larger storms we have greater flooding, and our ability to sustain a storm will be much more difficult with more flooding in the area. The weir may also not be able to effectively work, as we have had some issues with it in the past. We also have had issues with proper drainage of our lakes when it is inundated with water due to hurricanes. If the barren grass and lots are replaced with houses and asphalt it will without question adversely affect draining of water during major storms. Even in past hurricanes we had some houses flooded. Our lakes in Toscana Isles began to overflow due to the issues with the storm surge and the inability of the lake to release the water in the surrounding area.  With an increase in flooding, all our insurance premiums will go up even more significantly than in the past. More and more insurance companies may leave Florida. This scenario sets up a significant financial burden for all property owners.

Furthermore, the roads within Toscana Isles, are maintained by the HOA by using the Reserve Fund that is entirely funded by our residents.  Allowing the new development to access these roads would not only be an act of trespassing but also unjustly shift the burden of maintenance and repair onto our community. The increased wear and tear will force us to pay for resurfacing our roads sooner rather than later, it will adversely affect our financial plans and reserves undertaken by the community members in good faith.   In addition, as the roads are maintained by our HOA, it would be a gross act of injustice for any other development to be able to access our roads as they are NOT supported by the Town of Venice.  

 In addition, there have been homeowners that have the white fencing behind their property that serves as a buffer for them from the undeveloped area behind their house to give them peace and quiet. They fear that if a development is built behind the white fencing their privacy and their peace of mind will be taken away from them. We all spent a lot of money to move into Toscana Isles, and it would be devastating to those who will have their peace and quiet taken away from them with a massive development abutting their backyard.   A development that abuts their land and Toscana Isles will lower the prices of all our houses in our community.  

 Finally, the Mayor and Venice Town Council also need to recognize that if it approves a development in an area where the carrying capacity of the area has already been reached, it will not only be devastating for the existing community, but it will be setting up the new community for failure too.

For all the above reasons, we hope you will unanimously reject any future appeals for the new development near Toscana Isles. 

 The residents of Toscana Isles are signing this petition to protest any future action being granted by the Meritage Group.  We hope the Mayor and the Venice Town Council NOT approve the proposed development near Toscana Isles for all the above reasons.   The Venice Planning Board rejected the development proposal, and the Mayor and Town Council need to as well.   If this land development is approved, it would be a reckless action by the Mayor and the Venice Town Council.  

    We must act now to protect our home and our environment. By preventing this development, we aim to safeguard our lakes, protect our privacy, our roads, and safeguard our entire infrastructure for our future.  Join us in urging the local authorities to reject this proposal. Sign this petition to preserve the quality of life in Toscana Isles and protect our environment from unnecessary development.