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Angels Unaware Seeks City Property

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By JOYCE McKENZIE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - A host of angels may be settling in the city.

Ross O'Bannion, executive director of Angels Unaware, recently asked the Temple Terrace City Council to consider donating city-owned property to build a "warm and welcoming" residence for a group of exceptional residents.

The nonprofit corporation - which falls under the umbrella of the Helping Achieve Lasting Objectives Foundation and operates eight such homes in the Tampa Bay area - aims to build a group home in Temple Terrace to house six people with severe developmental disabilities.

Funding would come from a combination of public and private grants, O'Bannion said, as well as through partnerships with a community housing development corporation and a construction industry association.

The proposed 1.24-acre residential parcel on tree-lined, tranquil Linda Avenue is an ideal location to construct a dwelling that would meet the needs and comfort levels of its wheelchair-dependent residents, he said.

"In the past, Angels Unaware would retrofit an existing home to try to fit the needs of the developmentally disabled population, but in all cases their needs were difficult to meet because the house was not designed for wheelchair use," he said. "Building a new house with the necessary design standards and considerations will make caring for these residents more efficient and will allow for a higher standard of care."

The home, designed pro bono by architect Jim Ruyle of Temple Terrace, is planned to incorporate the outdoors into the residents' daily routines. Amenities would include a large front porch and a breezeway to the garage, where a wheelchair-accessible van would be parked when not in use.

Plans also call for a backyard deck meant for the residents to enjoy the property's large oak trees and its Florida-friendly landscape. There is no signage planned in an effort to have the home blend with the others in the neighborhood.

"Temple Terrace, in my view, is very support-conscious of such needs, and the public in general needs to support these people with special needs," Ruyle said. "For me, it's a no-brainer."

Linda Avenue resident and Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cheri Donohue said she would wholeheartedly welcome the new neighbors.

"The proposed homesite would not change the look or feel of the neighborhood, where longtime residents maintain our quiet street," Donohue said. "From what I understand, there would be no traffic added to our street, and it has been planned to blend in with an existing neighborhood in order to give the residents a real home. The property now sits empty and occasionally overgrown, so this just might be the perfect way to use this property."

At the request of Mayor Joe Affronti, Temple Terrace City Attorney Mark Connolly agreed to research the issue and bring his findings back before the city council.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849 or jmckenzie@tampatrib.com.

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