In North Canton, a significant decision was made on Wednesday night. The city Planning Commission voted 4-0 to grant a conditional-use permit, allowing a nonprofit to build a group home for four children with developmental disabilities on Milton Street NW. This decision came despite objections from three residents who claimed they were not informed in advance about the plans for the vacant property.

"Providing a Home for Disabled Children in North Canton"

Commission's Decision and Residents' Objections

The Planning Commission's vote sparked a heated debate. Residents like Jaedan Tucker expressed concerns that approving a business in a residential neighborhood would change the character of their quiet dead-end street. Tucker mentioned, "I think that in my opinion, it’s still a business and that unfortunately the message the city is sending is that if you live in a residential neighborhood in North Canton that anytime the city can approve a business to move in and you will no longer have a residential neighborhood. And that concerns me."On the other hand, Paul Herrera, the CEO of Hope Homes Foundation, emphasized that the home would provide a wonderful environment for the children. He said, "The site is going to provide a wonderful home for those children and I’m sure the neighbors and us will rekindle a kind of relationship and move forward with it."

Details of the Group Home Project

Hope Homes plans to build a ranch-style, 2,077-square-foot, four-bedroom home. The children, who lack a stable home environment, will be placed there on a long-term basis until they become adults. Laura Mills, an attorney with Hope Homes, explained, "We’re not talking about children coming in and out in a transient situation. We’re talking about creating a real family. Hope Homes builds nice homes. Hope Homes maintains nice homes. … Kids with disabilities deserve a family environment."The children will all be around the same age, ranging from 6 to 17. Caretakers will work in shifts 24 hours a day to ensure their well-being. Mills also argued that the home would fit with the residential character of the neighborhood and have a six-foot-high fence. She provided evidence showing that the traffic would be similar to that of other single-family homes.

Residents' Perspectives and Concerns

Resident Adam Harris believed that Milton Street was not the right place for the group home. He said, "I just don’t think our small street is the place for it. There are four houses on this dead-end street. There’s no turnaround. It’s a small street. The traffic on that street is already busy. So if you add one home, it’s going to increase the traffic by 25%."Sierra Cottle was also concerned about the impact on her home's resale value. She said, "It’s a home but it’s still a business. A 501-c, that is a business model. Yeah, it may be a nonprofit business, but there’s money being exchanged. Like you said, these children are going to be paying rent and different things like that. You have staff that’s coming in. What happens? How many staff? These are the things that we’re thinking of is what kind of traffic? What about the families that are coming in?"

Support for the Group Home

Melissa Henley emphasized the need for such a home. She said, "There is a neighborhood that has drawn assumptions before they had the information. I heard there’s a neighborhood that’s more welcoming to deer … that’s more welcoming to a family of deer then they are to disabled children. This is such an underserved population, a marginalized population. … These kids deserve normalcy. They deserve love. They deserve safety. They deserve a school district like North Canton."Stark DD Superintendent Bill Green stated that under the conditions of the state grant, the group home is intended for children for at least 15 years, but it could potentially be converted to a group home for adults in the future.About 30 people attended the meeting at the North Canton Civic Center, showing the community's interest in this matter. Hope Homes has about 25 homes in Stark, Wayne, and Summit counties, with 10 in Stark County and three more in development. The Stark County Board of Developmental Disabilities obtained a $278,312 state grant for the project.