Venice planning commission declines to recommend Wisdom Townhomes PUD amendment after residents raise flooding, traffic concerns

The Venice Planning Commission voted 1–6 on Nov. 4, 2025, not to recommend a planned district zoning amendment (petition 25‑01RZ) that would have added townhomes to Subarea 3 of the Toscana Isles planned unit development and authorized an access point on Jean Green Road. The action is a recommendation to City Council, which will make the final decision.

Nicole Tremblay, senior planner for the City of Venice, told the commission the petition affects two parcels totaling about 10.5 acres and would add townhome use and townhome development standards (pulled from Subarea 2) to Subarea 3; the applicant and contract purchaser have said they intend to build about 50 townhome units if later plats and site plans are approved. “There’s sufficient information on the record for planning commission to make their recommendation to council on this plan district zoning amendment,” Tremblay said during her staff presentation.

Why it matters: the parcels sit inside the Toscana Isles PUD’s mixed‑use residential future land use. The change would alter which residential building types are explicitly permitted and would add a connectivity amendment showing a single access to Jean Green Road rather than internal access to the Toscana Isles street network. Residents said the requested access, wetlands impacts and maintenance of an existing drainage conveyance could increase flood risk for about 969 Toscana Isles households…