By: Mike Kennedy April 23rd, 2008 Category: Deep Creek Lake, Garrett County News, News

Be on the lookout for some new businesses and restaurants to pop up around the Deep Creek Lake area this upcoming summer season.

• A Ledo Pizza is going in the McHenry Plaza on the northern end of Deep Creek near the Wisp Resort. Ledo’s is one of the larger, more popular pizza chains in the Washington D.C. area. They are projecting an opening date sometime in June 2008.
• The cabins behind the proposed Aqua Mountain Resort indoor water park are now being constructed. The site for this proposed indoor water park and rental cabins will be along Rt. 219 in McHenry right beside the Garrett County Fairgrounds.
• Sorellees Pizza Pub and Ice Cream Parlor is now open for business. Sorellees is located south of Deep Creek Lake on Rt. 219 right across from Little Sandy’s Restaurant near Sand Flat Road. Very good, fresh tasting pizza. They also sell groceries and ice cream.
• A new boat cover, upholstery, and canvas repair shop is opening south of the lake as well. This new business is going to be called Deep Creek Canvas and will be located on Spring Glade Road near Oakland, Maryland. Call (301) 501-0676 if you are in the market for a new boat cover.
• Cedarworks of Deep Creek Lake is moving offices to our old sales office near the Rt. 219 Bridge. They sell complete Lindal cedar home packages.   

Unlike other real estate markets - people looking to buy or rent a vacation house at Deep Creek Lake usually take into consideration the quality and diversity of the restaurants in the area. Restaurants are important features in a resort market like ours. Any new restaurants and attractions, such as the proposed indoor water park, will certainly help continue to bring more and more visitors to the Deep Creek Maryland area.

By: JonBell April 12th, 2008 Category: Garrett County News

Governor Martin O’Malley held a news conference in the Savage River State Forest this morning to announce that his administration will not allow commercial wind turbines to be built on Maryland State Forest Land. O’Malley Stated that “While we must continue to explore and make progress on creating a more sustainable and independent energy future for Maryland, we will not do so at the expense of the special lands we hold in the public trust”

The debate to build wind turbines in Garrett State forest became popular to all Maryland Residents when the Baltimore Sun published its Dec 6th 2007 article stating “A Pennsylvania company is asking the O’Malley administration for leases in two Western Maryland state forests so it can clear up to 400 mountaintop acres to build about 100 wind turbines.”

After today’s news conference David Dishneau of WTOPnews.com wrote that “Opponents had claimed that allowing 40-story windmills on state-owned land in mountainous western Maryland would reduce its recreational value, spoil the landscape and lower property values, especially in the thriving Deep Creek Lake resort area of Garrett County.”

Click here to read the full WTOPnews.com article.

By: Mike Kennedy February 5th, 2008 Category: Garrett County News

At their meeting on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 the Garrett County Commissioners formally opposed the proposal to put wind turbines in the Savage River and Potomac State Forests. The board of commissioners now joins local representatives in the state government - Senator George Edwards and Delegate Wendell Beitzel who are also in opposition. The board will now submit a letter to Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley stating their position.

The state of Maryland has been seeking public comment through the Department of Natural Resources (NDR) on this proposal since it was announced in early January. The DNR has set up a web site to solicit public comment until March 3, 2008. The site is at the following address - http://www.dnr.state.md.us/sustainability/wpm/ . The last time this web site was checked about 80% of those who had submitter their opinion were against placing turbines on public land.

The DNR also held two public meetings last week as well to allow the citizens of Garrett County and the entire state of Maryland to voice their opinions. One meeting was held in Garrett County at the community college and the other was held in Annapolis. About 90% of those in attendance at both meetings were in opposition. 

At those meetings many residents of Garrett County, many people who own vacation homes in Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake but live elsewhere, and many people who just visit the county regularly on vacation all voiced strong opposition to this plan. This was in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and various groups who spoke up as well - including the Garrett County Board of Realtors, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, and numerous eco-friendly groups such as the Sierra Club. All seemed to think any benefits derived from wind energy would in no way offset the massive destruction that would be caused in the local state parks should turbines be erected.

Even with strong opposition to this plan the Governor can still approve this plan with the swipe of a pen. No one knows if he will or won’t at this point but it’s pretty obvious that their is overwhelming opposition not only from the citizens of Garrett County but from the rest of Maryland as well.

If this proposal does get shot down, the battle for wind turbines will now turn to those projects proposed on private lands. To date, their are two projects approved in southern Garrett County on private land - but none have been built yet.