Last plot of Canton family’s farm sold to group with noble intentions
Independent Living Alliance President Randy Leslie holds up a preliminary rendering of the facility that will be built at 51333 Cherry Hill Road in southwest Canton.
For decades, Canton’s Clink family diligently farmed hundreds of acres of property near the western-most part of the township, south of where Napier Road dead-ends into Cherry Hill.
Over the years, the family sold off parcels of its property, mostly to developers of subdivisions.
When it came time for Kevin Clink to sell the final 4.3 acres of his family’s sprawling acreage — the site in recent years of Clink Landscaping & Nursery, which is now located in Saline — his goal was to find a buyer whose vision for the land was fueled by noble intentions.
Perfect partnership
Meet Plymouth resident Randy Leslie, president of Independent Living Alliance — a group of concerned individuals working with the community, local leaders and advocates in the interest of disabled adults.
“We are on a mission to create a safe and supportive living community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) where they can live amongst friends, feel accepted, respected, happy and develop the skills necessary to be productive, contributing members of society,” the ILA’s website reads.
The facility will house 50 individuals with developmental disabilities and include leisure/training space for Special Olympics events like bocci and power lifting.
“Initially, we were looking for existing properties to purchase — for instance, apartment complexes that went up for sale after COVID,” Leslie explained. “However, we couldn’t quite find an existing property that would meet our needs. That’s when shifted gears toward land we could build on.”
According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, developments like the one proposed for west Canton are much-neeeded.
‘Very receptive’
“People with IDD face a housing crisis with many contributing factors, such as a serious lack of safe, affordable, accessible and integrated housing, and significant housing-related discrimination,” the association’s website emphasizes.
“Outmoded public policy and programs which unnecessarily segregate people with IDD, as well as lack of coordination among funding systems, also pose major barriers.”
After learning from Canton Township leadership that the Clink property was for sale, Leslie and other ILA leaders met for dinner with Kevin Clink to discuss the possibility of ILA purchasing the property.
“Kevin was very receptive to what we’re trying to build,” Leslie said. “And after checking out the property, we found it very desirable for what we were trying to build. We had a great conversation with Kevin that ended with him offering us a great deal: for a $10,000 deposit, he said they would consider the land sold to us and he would give us ample time — 12 to 15 months initially — to go through the process of rezoning and site-plan approval.
“Kevin and his family were unbelievably generous with how patient they were with us.”
A whole new world for individuals with developmental disabilities
The living community will be a consumer-controlled setting where residents receive support from staff and have the ability to access Long Term Services and Support (LTSS) as needed from their preferred third party provider(s), ILA’s website explained.
“These services will be funded through Medicaid Home & Community Based Services (HCBS) waivers and/or private pay,” the site continued. “This will be a place where the residents can live comfortably, with the supports they require, for the remainder of their lives
Leslie expects ground-breaking to take place later this year or early 2027 with a two-year building schedule once the contractors begin working on the 50-unit facility.
Funded equally between private and public donors, Leslie said fund-raising for the facility is on ongoing process and urges anyone interested in donating funds to visit the DONATE tab on the ILA’s official website you can visit by clicking here.
Proximity to CHV a plus
“This property is perfect for our planned community because, for one thing, of its proximity to Cherry Hill Village,” Leslie said. “The next step will be sitting down with architectural firms and working out the details for the facility.”
Leslie said the community will not only be a place where its residents can enjoy Special Olympics-quality training amenities, but ILA will invite Special Olympics groups from across the region to utilize the equipment once it’s installed.
Choosing the 50 individuals with developmental disabilities who will be assured a unit in the complex will follow a structured application process, Leslie said.
“There are no guarantees until we review all of the applications,” he said. “For instance, my developmentally disabled son and children of other ILA board members will be given no advantage of getting a unit, even though we have poured our hearts into this.
“Our hope is to have the 50 occupants chosen about one year prior to it opening.”
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
