Unique development proposed near Cherry Hill-Napier intersection
A residential community for individuals with developmental disabilities has been proposed for land near the intersection of Cherry Hill and Napier roads.
On a parcel of land nudging the western-most border of Canton Township, a few-of-its-kind development has been proposed that will benefit adults living with special needs.
Randall Leslie of Independent Living Alliance is expected to address the Canton Township Planning Commission on Monday, Oct. 6 (the meeting starts at 7 p.m.) regarding the construction of a residential community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) at 51333 Cherry Hill Rd., the long-vacant site of a former landscaping supply business.
The proposed development would consist of 40 units within one building on 4.23 acres. The site where the development would be built is currently an eyesore, featuring an in-shambles building surrounded by dead foliage and crumbled pavement.
According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, developments like the one proposed for west Canton are much-neeeded.
“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.”
The property is located within The Cherry Hill Village Overlay District, which requires all projects to be treated as a Planned Development District (PDD), according to information shared in the packet for the Oct. 6, 2025, planning commission meeting.
Each PDD is required to demonstrate definite benefits to the community.
The proposed definite benefits of the site, according to the developers, include “providing a unique housing option for the area and preserving more open space than is required by a PDD.”
The residential units will consist of 30 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units, which will each have a kitchen.
The building will also include multi-purpose rooms, a dining room, a fitness room, a meeting room, and administrative support area.
Outdoor amenities are located on the south (rear) side of the building and include bocce courts, a walking path, and outdoor eating areas.
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. Outmoded public policy and programs which unnecessarily segregate people with IDD, as well as lack of coordination among funding systems, also pose major barriers.
“Historically, families with a child with a disability had to either place their child in an institution, or manage without any supports or services at home,” the AAIDD explains.
“Institutions create an isolated, unnatural way of life that is inappropriate and unnecessary, while consuming a disproportionate share of limited public resources. As people with IDD have left institutions or their family homes, they frequently have been placed in group homes, often larger than family-sized, typically owned or leased by provider agencies.
“People in those settings may have little control over where and with whom they live, the services they receive, or the routines of daily life.”
Canton’s community planning manager recommends the planning commissioners approve the proposal.
If it passes, the project will move on to the board of trustees for final approval.
