Clinton Township

County to consider Nature Center along Clinton River

By Heidi Roman
C & G Staff Writer

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Detroit businessman and philanthropist James Nicholson remembers growing up on a small farm on Little Road in Clinton Township along the Clinton River, where the forest was unspoiled and the wildlife was plentiful.

It was a rural area back in the 1950s, and many people made their living by farming, Nicholson remembers.

“It was a great place to grow up,” he said. “We rode horses and grew hay in the field. We lived a very simple, but a very good life.”

The farm still remains, and Nicholson’s mother continues to live there today. But the community as a whole has gone through changes, developing into bustling commercial, residential and industrial neighborhoods — so much so that the area around the Nicholsons’ farm, including a piece of property owned by Macomb County, seems to stand out as a haven for wildlife and untouched forestry.

Under a proposal being explored by the county, it could stay that way. The 33-acre county-owned site near Dunham Road along the North Branch of the river would become a conservation easement with an outdoor classroom to educate local children.  Nicholson and his wife donated $150,000 to the project.

“We’re hoping to stretch that money as far as possible with grants, maybe using it as matching funds,” said Lynne Seymour, an environmental engineer for the county Public Works Office. “We’re going to try and keep it very natural … there’s a lot of great habitat and tree species that, being in such an urban area, is unique.”

Gerard Santoro, a senior planner with the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development, said the county has already identified the site as one of its most precious natural areas south of Hall Road.

“There is a lot of natural flora and fauna,” he said. The land is home to deer, fox, blue heron and raccoons.

Santoro said the public has always expressed a need for more access to the North Branch of the Clinton River in forums conducted during planning processes, and this easement would offer that.

The new nature center could include an outdoor classroom, two bridges, restrooms and signage. A short dock would be built for kids to learn about water sampling in the Clinton River.

The county would like to enhance an existing trail, possibly taking it north all the way to Hall Road. The county is also going to try to work with Clinton Township in hopes of extending the trail south toward Cass Avenue.

The nature center would be named after the Nicholsons in honor of their contribution. Nicholson now lives in Grosse Pointe and is CEO of PVS Chemicals in Detroit. He said he sees a need for preservation in the community.

“As the forested areas get scarcer and scarcer, I’ve decided we probably have enough buildings,” he said. “If you look around the world, great places have great parks and great access to nature.”

No additional money would be needed right away, but Santoro said the county is exploring options for a larger conservation easement in the future. The county’s land that will be included in the easement is mostly floodplain, and would not be suitable for other types of development.

The full Board of Commissioners was expected to take a formal vote on the proposal on Dec. 11, after the Chronicle went to press. If it were approved, work on the center would likely begin in the spring

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Heidi Roman at hroman@candgnews.com or at (586)218-5006.