Friday, March 14, 2008
Deep Creek Blog
Becky Sciullo
Appalachian Publishing
http://www.deepcreekblog.com
http://www.appalachianstudio.com
If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to check out the Deep Creek Blog! Becky Sciullo does an incredible job of digging up stories and useful information about the Deep Creek Lake area!
Posted by
Jay on 03/14 at 12:08 PM
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Friday, March 07, 2008
163 Kendall Camp Townhouse for sale, prime real estate at Wisp Resort! GA6684755
I just listed a 4/5 bedroom townhouse at Kendall Camp, at the top of Wisp Ski Resort. The asking price is $899,900, which is very competitively priced. The MLS # is GA6684755. This is the largest floorplan that you can find at Kendall Camp, totaling nearly 3,000 sq ft. Some of the many features include an attached 1 stall garage, built in bookshelves and storage throughout the home, oversized ceramic tile floors, 4 master suites, hardwood floors in the kitchen, dining and family room, granite countertops, native stone fireplace, tongue and groove wood ceilings, stainless steel appliances, 8 person hot tub, ski slope views, huge ceilings and genuine log & beam construction. Not only that, but you walk to the new white water rafting course at Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) and you are a few hundred feet from the slopes of Wisp! Kendall Camp at Wisp Resort & Deep Creek Lake offers unrivaled access to all of the hotspots on Marsh Mountain! The soon-to-be-built mountaintop village is directly across the street, and will offer dining, shopping and entertainment, as well as a great place to start the day!
A shot of the main living room from the kitchen:
The ski slopes are an easy walk, about 300 feet or so:
A unique blend of construction makes this a stylish vacation retreat:
Here is a slideshow of some of the other photos I have for this property:
Here is a link to some more details about the property:
http://www.homesdatabase.com/jayferguson/GA6684755
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Stilwater Community at Deep Creek Lake
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Stilwater Community Photo Gallery at Picasa
Friday, February 15, 2008
Congratulations Phyllis Helbig!
Congratulations to Phyllis Helbig! We closed on her home at 603 Alder St and just 3 hours later, she completed the purchase of her new residence on S. 3rd St. Pictured with Phyllis is her son, Gene Helbig.
Posted by
Jay on 02/15 at 04:09 PM
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
NOT A TORNADO?
Feb. 14, 2008
NOT A TORNADO? Although no official determination was made or announced this week, photographic evidence of the weather events of Feb. 6 seem to indicate the possible touch-down of a tornado, or at least a “micro-burst,” in Garrett County that evening. In this aerial photo of the Youghiogheny Mountain Resort (YMR) area, taken by Bob Browning, rows of large trees are shown clearly uprooted. Browning said from the air, it looked as if the powerful wind, or probable tornado, touched down at the northeast corner of the YMR, went across the Youghiogheny River, and over Oakland-Sang Run Road, and then touched down again near the Garrett County Airport, and again about three miles beyond the airport toward Grantsville. Browning took several photographs of severe damage to forestland throughout this area.
Posted by
Jay on 02/14 at 05:05 PM
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Zoning Only Way To Regulate Height Of Structures, Garrett Co. Official Says
Zoning Only Way To Regulate Height Of Structures, Garrett Co. Official Says
Feb. 14, 2008
The only way to restrict the height of structures in Garrett County would be through zoning, Planning and Land Development director John Nelson told the county commissioners this week. Some residents have suggested that local officials could regulate the construction of wind turbines through height restrictions in the county’s building ordinance. The commissioners met with Nelson on Tuesday to review the issue further.
“I felt we needed to clarify that,” said Commissioner Ernie Gregg. “Because the wind turbine opponents have misconstrued this, that we can apply a height ordinance and/or a building codes ordinance.”
Nelson said the authority for controlling height is a zoning regulation. “Article 66B [of the Annotated Code of Maryland] gives the authority to counties to adopt zoning, and zoning is the only mechanism to control heights,” he said.
Building codes, Nelson explained, will allow structures to be built to any height, as long as they meet the code’s design and engineering requirements.
“You could build a building 100 stories high, as long as the structural integrity is met under the building code,” he said.
To enact some type of height restriction would restrict the height of all types of structures being built in the county, such as hotels and communications towers, not just wind turbines, county officials said. They also noted that the county cannot enact a moratorium on wind turbine construction, as suggested by the Planning Commission last week. According to the county attorney, doing so would halt all local building projects.
It is only through zoning that the county would have the authority to regulate heights, Nelson reiterated.
“Under 66B, you can’t choose a single use and attempt to regulate that use,” he added. “It has to be a comprehensive zoning plan, where you apply zoning to all kinds of uses throughout the whole jurisdiction that you choose.”
Nelson noted, however, that zoning could be adopted “piece meal” by geological or political boundaries. Currently, the only area in Garrett County with zoning is the Deep Creek Lake watershed. Article 66B was used to adopt zoning in the watershed back in 1974, as residents in that area advocated for zoning.
“It was always felt by the governing body [at that time] that if zoning were to be expanded beyond that geographical boundary, the citizens would need to illustrate or show the county commissioners that that citizens group supported zoning,” Nelson said.
He noted, however, counties cannot have exclusionary zoning, meaning they cannot exclude all types of uses.
“You have to set aside and provide an area where uses, such as wind mills, would be permitted under certain parameters,” Nelson said.
He said it has been suggest that the zoning issue be placed on a referendum for voters to decide on a district by district basis, much like the Sunday alcohol sales issue. Nelson noted that citizen groups such as the board of realtors, chamber of commerce, and watershed associations would have to first demonstrate their support for the issue.
“So far, our citizens have opposed countywide zoning,” Glotfelty said, adding that the groups would indeed have to come forward and indicate their support to justify putting spot zoning on a referendum.
“You start using that Z word, and people’s hair starts standing up on end,” he said.
Posted by
Jay on 02/14 at 05:04 PM
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Beitzel Introduces “Share The Bear” Bill Once Again
Beitzel Introduces “Share The Bear” Bill Once Again
Feb. 14, 2008
Del. Wendell R. Beitzel (R–Garrett and Allegany counties) introduced HB 762, “Natural Resources – Black Bears – Establishment of Population in Each County,” this week in the Maryland General Assembly. The bill, which seeks to establish a bear population in each county in the state, is in response to Del. Barbara Frush’s (D–Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) filing of HB 657. Frush’s bill seeks to classify the black bear as a non-game mammal and to put a moratorium on bear hunting in Maryland.
A similar bill to Beitzel’s HB 762 was originally introduced by then-Del. George C. Edwards in 2005. The Edwards bill was also in response to a bill submitted by Frush to ban bear hunting in Maryland. Edwards is now a senator in the General Assembly.
Beitzel’s bill will be heard in front of the House Environmental Matters Committee and has been scheduled for a hearing at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27.
“Del. Frush and several of her colleagues do not want a bear hunt in Maryland,” Beitzel said. “If they are successful in their efforts, then something must be done to control the bear population in western Maryland. My plan does just that.
“Under my legislation, the Department of Natural Resources can distribute the bears throughout the rest of the state so that everyone can experience the ‘joys’ of living with bears,” Beitzel said.
The provisions of the his bill would require the DNR to capture bears that live in over-populated areas of western Maryland, and distribute them throughout the state. The DNR has determined that all counties in Maryland have locations that are suitable for bear habitat, according to Beitzel.
“Many people who aren’t from western Maryland think that bears are cute and friendly, but this isn’t always the case,” said Sen. Edwards. “There are nuisance bears that not only destroy property, but also potentially pose a serious threat to people and pets. We need to make sure that people down here know that it is essential to manage the bear population, whether it’s by a hunt or the plan we presented.”
According to a report by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 51 bears were taken during the 2007 bear hunt in Maryland. In addition to those bears, more than 40 bears were reported to have been hit by vehicles on the highway statewide.
Until the 2004-2005 hunting season, a ban on hunting black bears had been in effect since 1953. The bear hunt has received national attention and has since been a source of controversy.
During the most recent bear hunt, a black bear weight record was established for Maryland. Coty Jones, a 20-year-old woman from the state’s Eastern Shore, harvested a black bear that weighed more than 600 pounds.
“This bill is important to not only the people of Garrett and Allegany counties, but also should be a concern for those who genuinely have an interest in the preservation of the bear population in Maryland,” Beitzel said about HB 762.
He encourages anyone wanting more information on this subject to contact him in Annapolis at 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3435.
Posted by
Jay on 02/14 at 05:03 PM
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Brooke Mountain Vacation Rental
126 High Rock Ln
McHenry, MD 21541
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Brooke Mountain at Deep Creek Lake & Wisp Ski & Golf Resort
Highline Ski-in/out Community at Wisp Resort
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Come experience all that Deep Creek and the Wisp Resort have to offer in the pristine mountaintop community of Highline. This brand new log Chalet will captivate you with it’s warm, comfortable, and welcoming atmosphere. In the summer season you are within walking distance to the new Adventure Sports Center International and future mountaintop village. The interconnecting hiking and biking trails through natural wooded landscapes are available for your pleasure. Just a short drive down the mountain is your exclusive two-acre lakeside park. This is the ideal spot for a family gathering or picnic. In the winter season, take advantage of preferred parking for your skiing, mountain coaster and tubing adventures. For those who prefer indoor sports, you can play a game of foosball, air hockey, or choose from the many board games or X-Box library for your gaming pleasure. After each memorable day, unwind in the outdoor hot tub equipped with a stereo and LED lighting, while taking in the wooded surroundings. There are also 2 fireplaces for you to relax in front of. Your dogs are also welcome, and leave your pet crates at home. There are small, medium, and large crates available for your use.
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If you are interested in buying or selling real estate at Deep Creek Lake or Wisp Resort, call:
Posted by
Jay on 02/14 at 02:23 PM
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Garrett commissioners may let voters decide zoning issue by districts
Sarah Moses
Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND - As zoning has been presented as the only option for preventing or limiting the construction of wind turbines in Garrett County, adopting zoning might be possible through a referendum vote in each district.
“Wind power opponents have felt we could enforce this, but we don’t have the authority,” Ernie Gregg, county commissioner, said during Tuesday’s commission meeting.
John Nelson, director of planning and land development, explained that while the county has the authority to approve or deny projects through the building code, these decisions are based only on the safety and engineering of the structure, not height or appearance.
Nelson said that zoning regulations would allow restrictions to be placed, but that zoning that is not countywide can only be instituted by geographic region or by political district.
Jerry Plaugher of Deer Park asked why it wouldn’t be possible for restrictions to be placed on the ridge tops to prevent the construction of the turbines.
Denny Glotfelty, commission chairman, said that such restrictions would also affect other industries, including communication towers, which haven’t been an issue at this point in time.
Nelson added that zoning requires a comprehensive plan of the area to be zoned, and that would mean lumping together all the areas in the county with ridge tops as one group.
It had been suggested at a planning meeting last week that the commissioners approve a moratorium on development of wind turbines and that they pursue legislation to allow the county to have some form of authority over future projects. That suggestion was deemed impossible by the commissioners after consulting with the county attorney.
They said that a moratorium would require a halt on all building projects in the county and that without some form of zoning, no legislation would have any authority behind it.
The commissioners said they would be open to putting zoning up for a referendum, but only if there is a definite showing of support for the action. This would allow the zoning to be grouped by district as the Sunday alcohol sales have been.
Plaugher said he couldn’t see that happening.
“Zoning, it’s something that really rankles people,” Plaugher said. “Zoning regulations start out very simple, but give them 20 years.”
Contact Sarah Moses at .
Posted by
Jay on 02/13 at 05:02 PM
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Sunday, February 10, 2008
Deep Creek Cleaning
http://www.DeepCreekCleaning.com
301-501-2675
Sherry Ferguson, Owner
Deep Creek Cleaning has served the Deep Creek Lake area and Garrett County, Maryland for over 10 years. We specialize in private home cleans, vacation rental homes, construction cleaning, and commercial properties. Call or e-mail us for a free quote today - our prices are the most competitive around the lake!
Our reputation speaks for itself - our clients are our top priority!
Local real estate and housing markets thriving
Local housing market thriving
Area counties see increase in unit sales
Maria Smith
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — By no means is the sky falling when it comes to the real estate market locally, Melanie Pratt Dimaio said.
As president of the Historic Highlands Association of REALTORS Inc., she and Linda Pluta, the association’s chief executive officer, said they want to dispel the picture of a dying real estate market the media has portrayed over the last year.
“Real estate is localized,” Dimaio said. “What they’re saying in the news is not true for every state, every county, every market.”
Allegany and Garrett counties are holding strong and have been noted as a stable market in Maryland REALTOR magazine.
Dimaio points out that while the state is off 33 percent in unit sales, Allegany is “one of the lucky ones” with an increase of 8.9 percent from October 2006 to October 2007. It is one of eight areas in the state to experience an increase in average sales price with a boost of 8.7 percent.
Garrett fared better, with units sold at an increase of 23.7 percent, but had a 13.6 percent decrease in average sales price.
Each of the two counties is considered one of 12 outperforming counties in the state.
Tim Brinkman, a real estate agent and the association’s publicity chairman, told Dimaio the residential business market remains solid in Mineral County, W.Va. What’s taken a hit is the second-home resort market and raw land.
Part of the reason the market has remained stable locally is that a large increase in home prices hasn’t been seen. The average cost of a home in Allegany, according to Maryland REALTOR, is $125,586, the lowest in the state. The same house would cost $372,746 in Garrett and in Talbot County, which has the highest average price, $562,277.
“I think we’re one of the best-kept secrets in the state,” Dimaio, who has worked as a real estate agent for 15 years and currently is with Long & Foster, said.
She said a seller shouldn’t expect to get rich buying a home in Cumberland and selling it two years later, but on the flip side, one won’t “get burned” either.
Even though starter homes at less than $100,000 are available, Dimaio admits it is harder for a young, recently married couple to purchase a home here than it was two years ago. But it’s far worse in Hagerstown and Winchester, Va.
Pluta’s advice is those starting out should buy a small home, renovate it, hold onto it for about five years and then graduate to the next level.
She also has statistics dating back to 1986 regarding the housing market in Allegany County.
From May through December of that year, 173 homes were sold for an average cost of $45,062. The average price has increased steadily, with 2007 seeing an average of $114,809. The market peaked in 2005, with the number of sales reaching 834, but while those have since decreased to 601, the value of homes has increased.
Nationwide, it was a good year last year despite what’s been portrayed about the market, especially in light of the subprime loan crisis, Pluta, who has been the association’s CEO for 20 years, said. In fact, 2007 is the fifth highest on record for home sales with 5,652,000 existing-home sales, according to the National Association of REALTORS.
She also doesn’t expect to see such problems trickle down to the local market, in part, because over-inflated prices haven’t been prevalent.
“We’ve just been steady,” she said. “And we’ve gone through our ups and downs.”
Allegany County is being recognized nationally for its real estate market with the national association starting to profile it along with Hagerstown and Baltimore.
“Our real estate market is very strong when compared to the truly bleak performances of other real estate markets across the country,” Dimaio said. “Real estate has historically and will, in my opinion, continue to remain a sound overall long-term investment.
“People will always need a roof over their heads,” she continued. “They are not making anymore land. So, if you need a home, don’t be afraid to buy one.”
For more information about the Garrett County & Deep Creek Lake real estate market, log on to http://www.ilovedeepcreek.com.
Posted by
Jay on 02/10 at 11:48 AM
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Officials revise Garrett County hotel zoning ordinance
Officials revise Garrett hotel ordinance
Sarah Moses
Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — With the original proposal rejected by the Garrett County commissioners, a revised amendment to the hotel/motel ordinance has been approved by the county planning commission.
“In general, I think we had a very good plan put forth,” Troy Ellington, chairman of the planning commission, said. “But (John ‘Smiley’ Kessler) raised some good points.”
The proposal, which was established to more clearly define a hotel or motel room, was submitted to the commissioners on Jan. 8. The provisions of the amendment to the Deep Creek Lake Watershed zoning ordinance would have defined specifically those hotels that have kitchen areas inside.
After the planning commission originally submitted its proposed change to the ordinance, Kessler, who is currently developing Aqua Mountain Resort, an indoor waterpark hotel, submitted further questions concerning the proposed provisions.
Taking Kessler’s questions, the planning commission approved changes to the original submitted proposal.
One suggestion was to ensure that the definitions included “rooms and/or suites” rather than “rooms and suites.” Another was to clearly define a room key as something that grants access to the hotel room, not necessarily a traditional key.
Also altered after the planning meeting Wednesday was the provision that said any room more than 1,000 square feet would be considered a dwelling unit and would require a 4,800-foot lot for each room of that size. John Nelson, director of planning and land development, explained the original intention of this part of the plan was to limit the number of rooms that would have kitchen areas, not to limit the size of the room.
The board agreed that only if the room did possess a kitchen and was more than 1,000 square feet, it would be treated as a dwelling unit.
The final change was made to hotel or motel parking for employees to ensure there is a space for each full-time position, rather than full-time employee, as each position might have three employees who work on separate shifts.
Karen Myers of DC Development suggested the planning commission consider the same policy for restaurants, as they also are likely to have the same position, but with employees within that position on different shifts.
Ellington said that was something that would have to be done at a separate time.
“There has been a lot of hard work on (the changes),” Kevin Potter, owner of Point View Inn, said. “A lot of people put a lot of time in for Garrett County on this process.”
Contact Sarah Moses at .
Posted by
Jay on 02/10 at 11:47 AM
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Deep Creek Marina at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
2010 Deep Creek Dr.
McHenry, MD 21541
Phone: 301-387-6977
Fax: 301-387-6585
http://www.DeepCreekMarina.com
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Make sure to contact Deep Creek Marina for all of your Deep Creek Lake boating and recreational needs! They have lots of great options for new and used boats, waverunners, ATV’s, snowmobiles, motorcycles and more! Check out their impressive new showroom on Garrett Highway & Deep Creek Drive in McHenry!
Links to Deep Creek Marina photo gallery
Deep Creek Lake Rental Boats
Friday, February 08, 2008
Buffalo Cow Hybrid - ‘Beefalo’ Oakland Sang Run
Posted by
Jay on 02/08 at 11:43 AM
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