Fox Hollow

 “To Live (and Age) In.”

By Theresa Sullivan Barger

(Hartford Courant)

 

 Naugatuck- Gary Bonomo was retired and living on St. Lucia when his aging mother reached a stage where she could no longer live in her home. He tried to find housing where she could live with dignity, while allowing for the care she needed.

       Nothing seemed right for her, he said. So he decided to build it himself. Bonomo, a serial entrepreneur and first-time builder, is developing 20 single-family homes on nearly 8 acres. Called Fox Hollow, the 55-plus active adult community is built with one-floor living, “universal design” features, energy-efficient and green components and “seamless aging –in –place” elements.

       Bonomo believes he has created a model that will resonate with consumers because it’s attractive to active, healthy baby boomers. Half of the units are sold.

       “You can’t build accessible housing that looks accessible,” he said.

       His buyers still want an attractive, high-end look, he said. “That’s the difference. …I  am the first in the country that has embraced universal design for aging in place, and I’ve made it seamless. I’ve also made it so you can convert the home very economically to embrace the aging process.”

       Universal design is an idea created in recent years in which homes accommodate people of different ages and physical abilities. Although Bonomo’s assertion is hard to prove, several national experts on universal design and active adult housing confirmed that he has done more to incorporate universal design and aging-in-place principles than past active adult housing.

       “I don’t think there are that many that have quite as many features planned in as this one does,” said Leslie Young, director of Universal Design Services at the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, considered a national leader in universal design.

       The end product reflects good planning for all stages of later life, she said. “I think [the fact] that this man had this amount of vision and was able to stick with it is amazing. He may be one of the few people in the country who has taken it to this length.”

       Jane O’Connor, president of 55 Plus LLC and the publisher of Mature Living Choices, said the universal design and aging-in-place concept are not unique to Fox Hollow.

       But Fox Hollow “has more of that ‘aging-in-place’ design than anyone else in Connecticut,” said O’Connor, who is one of two certified active adult housing specialist in New England and is on the National Association of Home Builders’ 50 Plus Council, Education & Certification Committee.

       This project may be different because Bonomo is not a traditional developer. He doesn’t have to work. And when he did work, he made a living putting people with a need together with others who could fill that need, whether it was $2 pamphlets with information on Harley Davidson motorcycles he sold as a kid or an international IT service company that he ran with his partner for nearly 30 years.

       Bonomo spent more than two years interviewing women ages 55 to 95. Then, with architect Armand DeAngelis, he tried to create houses that accommodated the needs of older people without looking like senior housing. The result includes such amenities as a propane heating system that moisturizes the air, pocket cabinet doors at the sink, and cook-stop stove to allow for wheelchair access.

       There’s the expected, such as wider doorways and no-step entry, and the unexpected, such as glow-in-the-dark grout between the bathroom tiles. The ramp that allows wheelchair access is built inside the garage so it can’t be seen from the outside the house.

       “People don’t want an antiseptic look,” said Bonomo, 54, of Southbury. These homes “are designed so they’re accessible and pleasing to the eye.”

       Although the homes are not cheap – the price range from $375,000 to about $650,000, depending on the amenities – they are designed to be energy-efficient to keep monthly utility cost as low as possible.    

       George Carey and Diane Bukoski are fairly typical of the couples who have bought in the development so far, Bonomo said. (The average age of Fox Hollow buyers is 58.)

       Both still work, although Carey, 61, is semi-retired. The Plymouth residents looked at 55-plus housing throughout the area and did not like the quality or the limits to their choices.

       Fox Hollow has three models that range from 1,700 to 3,000 square feet, and all have a two-car garage and one-floor living. Like other future owners, the couple sat down with DeAngelis, who customized the floor plan to meet their needs.

       “This is the last stop for me,” Carey said. Bukoski’s parents’ health is failing, and they figure it’s only a matter of time before one of them lives with them, so they like the option of having space in their new home for a parent to have his or her own room, bath and living area with a mini-kitchen.

       “It’s set up for instant conversion,” said Bukoski, 49.

       But before it’s needed for an elderly relative, the room can hold a resistance pool, wet bar and bath. Or the space could be a garden room with a built-in potting sink and an irrigation system. And, if necessary, the room could be retrofitted with medical monitoring capabilities.

       In the bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms, the house can be modified in a day at minimal expense as needs change, Bonomo said.

       The house has central vacuum, and after sweeping the kitchen floor, the pile can be sucked into an automated built-in dust and crumb removal area under the cabinets.

       In the kitchen and laundry room, all of the Energy Star Whirlpool appliances are conveniently located for people in perfect health, as well as for those with limited mobility. For instance, the two-drawer dishwasher can be run separately for a small load in one drawer or simultaneously after entertaining a crowd.

       After his Aunt Mary endured the indignity of being bathed by male and female nurse assistants in a nursing home, Bonomo worked with his architect to design showers that would allow for someone with arthritis and limited mobility to bathe independently – including built-in seating, removable shower heads and built-in full-body air dryers.

       The houses have a full basement, including some walkouts, and the ability to install an elevator for $10,500. Buyers so far plan a variety of uses for the basement, including a wine cellar, an artist’s studio and a formal dining room.

       Carey and Bukoski, whose house is scheduled to be completed by October, say their new house has sex appeal.

       They’re looking forward to the carefree lifestyle that comes with their new home, Bukoski added, saying, “It’s almost like you’ve reached that point now where you can enjoy your life.”

       Unfortunately, in the 2 ½ years Bonomo spent researching what women would want and need as they age, his mother couldn’t wait. She’s living in an in-law suite built into his sister’s home. But when his mother saw the house her son built, she cried.

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