County Lays Claim to Plymouth Center La,'!
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'l--- _ 1./1 W r. TJ ,.) a -, 0 "J I!I :~. ~ "1. "} i i'l. i:r.J ~, o 1~· "-t "1o. '"r) .:'" J • I \ '< -< :_J WAYNE COUNTY'S OLDEST WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ... ESTABLISHED 1869 Publadon Number USPS *880 Vol. 116. No. 52. Three Sections, 28 Pages, Plus Supplements , I - WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1985-NORTHVILLE, MICHIGAN I , ~ ) County------------------------lays claim to Plymouth Center la,'! - , I By KEVIN WILSON tIe to the 250-acre site at Five Mile and In the letter drafted by principal at- to or revested in the County of Wayne." tempt to retain the property. He later He also said th~ i ..~lns Sheldon in Northville Township. torney William Dietrich, the corpora- the letter declares. confirmed that the letter has been that the site continues to be used for Wayne County is staking claim to the O'Hair cites a reverter clause in the tion counsel states that: "We have in- Plymouth Center has not housed receiVed and referred to DMH at- mental health purposes." Plymouth Center for Human Develop- deed by which the county gave the land, formation indicating that the State of mental health system patients since it torneys for review. O'Halr said Tuesday, however, that a (t ment property it gave to the state near- formerly the Wayne County Training Michigan has closed the Plymouth was closed under a court order spurred "I suppose yOU'dhave to get a team portion of the property the state plans ly 30 years ago, citing a deed restriction School, to the state In 1957.The county State Home and Training School by revelations of patient abuse. Prior to of lawyers together and let them hash it to sell belongs to the county regardless that limits state use of the land to treat- granted the property to the state at no formerly operated on this site and has that time, it was home to institutionaliz- out," DeLoach said. "There's a pro- of use of the remaining property, since ment of retarded children. cost. The so-called "reverter clause" In util;'l.ed the property other than as a ed mentally disabled persons. Most of blem in that, at the time (1957), they hospital for mentally diseased andor the reverter clause addresses "the A June 18 letter from county corpora- the deed requires the land be returned the residents have been transferred to spoke of retarded persons as 'children' lands herein conveyed, or any part tion counsel John O'Halr addressed to to county ownership if the state ever deficien.t children. community group homes. regardless of age. To my knowledge, "It is, therefore, our opinion that by thereof .... " Some buildings west of C. Patrick Babcock, director of the ceases to use it for treatment of "men· DMH spokesman Tom DeLoach said right from the beginning, people were Sheldon are being used to house state department of mental health tally dise~ children and/or mentally operation of the express provision in the he has not seen O'Halr's letter, but admitted to Plymouth Center who were (DMH) asks that the state turn over ti- deficient children." Deed,'titIe to this property has reverted speculated that the department will at- chronologically adults." Continued on 5 ll]aycees, VFW plan Fence 'delay' irks officials, big bash for Fourth bidding done Northville's day-long Fourth of July Mayor Paul Vernon said Monday that celebration this year will mark the 25th Wayne County Executive William By KEVIN WILSON year that the Northville Jaycees have Lucas has promised to be on hand for sponsored the annual parade of mar- the dedication about 10:30 or 11 a.m. There Is no fence going up around ~ .chers, floats and bands that draws an Lucas in years past has been a familiar Northville Regional Psychiatric r area-wide audience. figure as he walked with other officials Hospital this week, disappointing local A highlight of festivities this year will in the annual parade. officials who belleve the Department of be the dedication of the flagpole plot In .A 6 a.m. flag-raising at city hall of- Mental Health COMH) pledged that front of the Veterans of Foreign Wars ficially will begin the Northville com- construction would begin Monday, July Post 4012 building on South Main. munity's Indet>endence Day activltles. 1. It will be followed by an "all you can A DMH official contends, however, eat" breakfast at the Masonic Temple that the project is "moving along" and starting at 6:30 a.m. and continuing un- that a misunderstanding is to blame for til the 10 a.m. parade time. Union any belief that the fence is being Parade route Chapter No. 55, Royal Arch Masons, delayed. will be serving pancakes, sausage, "As far as we can determine, the bids scrambled eggs, juice and beverage for are in at the hospital but won't be sent Here's the route the FoUrth of everyone. Donation is $3 for adults, to Lansing until some time next week $1.50for children 12 and under. < July parade will follow as it and it may be another month before a leaves Northville Downs at 10 A bed race along Main sponsored by contract is awarded," said Northville a.m.: the Northville Recreation Department, Township Supervisor suSan Heintz. North on BeaI to Griswold. " a bike decorating contest and an anti- DMH spokesman Tom DeLoach said • Griswold norUitoMalnStreet. que car judging wlll precede ·tlie the bid procedure is m its concluding , Main Street west past the r parade. I stages but said "I certainly hope that's , " J:(;!Royjewmg,~t.;m.<!tlt .9!}:-A~J2_ Theme of this year's parade is not the case" when asked if bids were '> > gers. -uAnYthing Silver'Lin"l'ecognItlon.of the---' , ~,beiDg..l"eceiv~.~t...tbe ..l!ospitaL.Ql!be,J: South,on Rogers to C8dy. anniversary.'. , ., . than through' regular department bf """~ East~n"Uady to Wing. 1- "":~>~ The Jaycees are honoring both Karl anagement and budget procedures: ' . Knoth and Clancy Ely as co-grand mar- ". :a '. < SOutlionWingtoFalr1iroo~·~~.f' Bid specifications pUblished earller f' -. East on Falrbrook acroSS· shals of the parade. Knoth was chair- required copstructioq to begin within 90 Center' and into the Downs plirk- . man for the first Fourth of July parade days of awarding of the contract. If the inglot. in 1961.Ely was president at the time. contract is awarded next month, the , I Knoth later served as president of the winning bidder may have until Jaycees In 1964. November to begin installation of the The parade is scheduled to be televis- three-sided, six-feet high chain link ed on Omnicom cable television at 8 fence. Construction money was includ- p.m. JulyS. ed in the state budget for the current Plan okayed, Parade chairman Kevin Hartshorne fiscal year, which ends in October. is asking any groups planning to enter a Heintz said she was surprised that float in the parade and who have not fence construction did not begin Mon- but not sewer registered to call him at 348-6315.The day, since DMH director C. Patrick lineup of floats, bands and dignitaries Babcock reportediy told two local of. ct . will start at 8:30 a.m. in the Northville • < Northville City Council approved a ficials that was the date set for con· .request of Mijdub Realty Company and Downs parking lot. All participants are struction to begin. Belanger Inc. unanimously Monday to to be in line by 8:45 a.m. to be eligible "Babcock promised," she said. "He amend its EDC financing resolution to for jUdging. told (township clerk) Georgina (Goss) enable Belanger to lease a new, larger Antique cars are to get In line from they would start construction July 1. facility to be built by Mijdub on 8:30-9 a.m. in the Downs parking lot Now we understand that they've done township property. with judging to be at 9:15 a.m. by Bob preliminary work - some surveying of , Belanger representatives explained Cummings, Jaycee past president. the grounds and laying out where the the transfer of operations would bring Decorated bike contest judging will fence will go. They can say, technically, the company's sales office back into the be at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot. En- that they were to 'start work' July 1. I ttcity and would "generate a good 15 ad- trants should check in with Debbie definite!y feel we've been misled. '! ditional jobs." Anderson between 9-9:30 a.m. First reports of the July 1 date came The fIrm is expanding its operation to The parade will proceed west along through senator R. Robert Geske (R· inclUde a new line of doors from West Main from its starting point at Griswold Northville), who also spoke to Babcock Germ8J)y, council was told. The resolu- at the Downs parking lot. and received the same information tion was an EDC reqUirement. ' Following the parade, there will be a Goss was given, Heintz said. The council delayed action on the re- full day of events In Mill Race But DeLoach said the July 1 date "is quest from the township to extend city Historical Village on Griswold north of very probably some kind of sewer service to the proposed factilty at Main near the Ford waterwheel plant. misunderstanding. I'm not privy to the Jack Doheny Complex at Doheny The Jaycees will serve their tradi- Ready to dedicate every conversation Mr. Babcock has Drive and Gerald Avenue, asking city tional chicken barbecue with coleslaw, had on the SUbject, but I do know he Is manager Steve Walters to seek more chips and pop along with hOt dogs very wary of specifying a date certain, specific information on the meaning of throughout the afternoon.