HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984 09 11 Regular
S The OrlandC'Sentinc,. Thursday. September 13, 1984 3
,..~
Winter Springs
to permit home
for the retarded
Commissioners change minds,
grant waiver to Emily Powell
By Terry Osinski
OF THE SENTINEL STAFF
WINTER SPRINGS - It took Emily Powell three
months and "lots of faith in the good Lord" before
receiving city approval to run a group home for five
profoundly retarded boys in the Ranchlands.
By a 3 to 2 vote Tuesday, commissioners reversed
a July 24 denial and granted a waiver to the city's
zoning code which prohibits more than five unre-
lated people from living in a single-family
household.
Stipulations in Commissioner Bill Jacob's motion
for acceptance of the group home included a provi-
sion that would require Powell to appear before the
commission for another waiver if a child leaves and
she wishes to replace him with another. Also, all un-
related occupants of the home must be either handi-
capped or mentally retarded. Violation of the crite-
ria would be grounds for revocation.
Three Ranchlands residents spoke in opposition to
the location of a group home in their neighborhood.
Jerry Bass, who lives next door to Powell's 260 Ba-
hama Road home, said the city should limit the
number of people in the household before "ramming
it down our throats. Even though it looks like we
will, I don't want to live next door to a Holiday Inn
or a Howard Johnson's," Bass said.
Commissioners Inez Linville and Jim Hartman,
who voted against the waiver, also expressed con-
cern with the number of people living in the four-
bedroom ranch-style home. Hartman said he discov-
ered Powell's three grandchildren used her 1 Gum-
tree C09rt address to enroll in Winter Spdngs Ele-
mentary School.
Powell, 60, has been operating a group home for
the children on Gumtree Court for the past 11 years.
She said her grandchildren attended Winter Springs
Elementary last year while her son and wife were
working. Her son lives in Orlando and Powell said
she took care of her three after school. She said the
children are now enrolled in Orlando schools.
But City Attorney Frank Kruppenbacher said he
had "a great deal of problem with trying to regulate
the number of immediate family members." Accord-
ing to the city's zoning restrictions, there is no limit
per household on the number of people who can live
there as long as they are related by blood or mar-
r riage, he said.
r After the vote, Powell said she would begin mov-
ing into the larger home as soon as possible.