By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 November 5th, 2010 Category: Garrett County News, News

Railey Realty is proud to announce that Larry Smith was recently installed as new President of the Garrett County (MD) Board of Realtors. Larry has been a full time licensed salesperson at Railey Realty for nearly 10 years. He also recently won the 2010 Realtor of the Year award. Before entering the field of real estate sales Larry previously worked at the Wisp Ski Resort and owned the Lake Breeze Motel on Deep Creek Lake with his family. Larry is the nephew of the late Helmuth Heise who founded the Wisp Ski Resort.

Also representing Railey Realty on the Garrett Board of Realtors are Mike Kennedy and Erin Strubin. Mike is continuing to serve a 3 year term as a Director on the Board of Realtors and Erin was recently elected to serve as Secretary. Both Mike and Erin are licensed salespersons with Railey Realty.

The Garrett County Board of Realtors is comprised of local Realtors committed to providing professional real estate services to all buyers and sellers. The Board closely monitors any proposed legislation and new issues that may affect real estate buyers and sellers in Garrett County and the Deep Creek Lake area.

The Board also works very closely with all local and state government to help protect property owners in regards to local real estate issues - such as lake management, property taxes, and the proposed Marcellus Shale drilling.

By: Jay Ferguson jferguson@railey.com 301-501-0420 September 28th, 2010 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do, Deep Creek Lake Events, Garrett County News, News

Some videos & a little bit about the experience of volunteering at the Savageman Triathlon last weekend. Railey Realty was stationed at the top of ‘Killer’ Miller Hill. We had a lot of great turnout from Railey Realty sales agents, friends & family. It was a lot of fun, almost like a part atmosphere. People in costumes, cheering a lot of cowbells Click for a few more photos that I posted to Facebook. Below, one of the videos is of Audrey Kennedy climbing the hill:

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 September 16th, 2010 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do, Deep Creek Lake Events, Garrett County News, News

Now in its 4^th year, the annual Savageman Triathlon Festival will be held this weekend in Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake. The Savageman 30.0 Triathlon will be held on Saturday and features a 0.9 mile swim in Deep Creek Lake, a 23 mile bike, and 6 mile run. On Sunday is the full Savageman Triathlon 70.0 race which features a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, and 12 mile run. The 56 mile bike includes a portion on the Westernport Wall which has a 31% grade and other numerous areas with 20% grades. Six time Hawaii Iron Man World Champion and racing legend Dave Scott is also participating in this year’s race which has now grown to over 1,100 competitors from all over the world. With Garrett County such a beautiful and challenging venue, this race is now ranked #1 as the World’s Hardest Triathlons by Triathlete Magazine. All proceeds from the race and sponsorships support melanoma research.

Many locals and Railey Realty agents are participating in the race. They include:

Jimmy Railey - True Savage Double, competing solo in both Savageman 30.0 and 70.0 Courses

Mike Kennedy - relay team, bike portion, Savageman 30.0 Course

Brian Homberg - relay team, swim portion, Savageman 30.0 Course

Coelian Green - Aqua Velo, Savageman 70.0 Course

Russell Bounds - Aqua Velo (swim and bike only), Savageman 70.0 Course

Susan Bell - relay team, swim portion, Savageman 70.0 Course

Nick Orr (son of Rich Orr) - relay team, biking and running portion, Savageman 30.0 Course

Elizabeth Green (daughter of Coelian Green) - competing solo, Savageman 30.0 Course

Railey Realty agents this year again are volunteering and running the aid station atop Miller Road - also known as “Killer Miller” because of its long, steep pitch. Please join us at this aid station as we pass out recovery drinks and water to the passing bikers as they ascend this difficult portion of the course. We will have food, drinks, and music at this aid station from the hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday, September 19, 2010.

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By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 September 15th, 2010 Category: Deep Creek Lake, Garrett County News, News

While there is still plenty of water in Deep Creek Lake to safely enjoy boating for the rest of summer and fall, lakefront and lake access property owners should note the current lake level is below normal for this time of year - and in some instances creating a situation where a homeowner must either move their dock out further or take their boat out of the lake for the season. Bill’s Marine Service has reported already taking out approximately 180 boats thus far and it’s only one week after Labor Day.

The lower than normal lake level is mostly due to a very hot, dry summer experienced in Garrett County which actually created ideal weather conditions most weekends for Deep Creek vacation home owners and tourists. The Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board (PRB) met last Friday to discuss this issue and about what can be done in the future if hot, dry conditions happen again next year. At the meeting were representatives of the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) along with the  Deep Creek Lake POA in attendance. While Brookfield Power manages and actually administers the water releases from Deep Creek Lake, MDE is in charge of monitoring that permit to make sure they keep the lake level within the allowed guidelines - also known as the rule bands.  The current lake level is currently below the lower rule band allowed for this time of year.

If you are a lakefront property owner and haven’t been to your house in the past few weeks you should check on your boat and dock sometime soon to see what the water level is at the end of your dock.  Most boats need at least 24 inches of water to sit safely in the water.

Overall the health of Deep Creek Lake is still very good according to DNR. Different types of sub-aquatic vegetation are still growing and can be seen with the eye which most say is the sign of a healthy lake. DNR also reports that the fish kill earlier this summer was mostly the result of higher than normal water temperatures. While certainly unofficial, the water temperature gauge on my boat read about 84 degrees the second week in July. In all my years of living on the lake and and waterskiing on Deep Creek, I’ve never seen the water temp higher than 80. Different groups are currently working together with DNR and the Property Owners Association to make sure the health of the lake is monitored in the future.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 September 3rd, 2010 Category: Garrett County News, News

Deep Creek Lake manager Carolyn Mathews is reporting that DNR will proceed forward with the previously proposed changes in the PWC (personal watercraft) docking regulations.  However, there was one major change - the proposal will not require the $100 permit fee for PWCs as was originally proposed.

This new regulation will essentially ban all PWC stands that currently exist along the shoreline of Deep Creek Lake. Once approved through the permit process lakefront homeowners will now have to moor their PWCs to their dock. Lake access homeowners will have to moor their PWCs to the community boat dock.

The proposal and public comments can be found at this link;

http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/western/deepcreeknrma.asp

If you are a dock permit holder you can probably expect to receive notice in the mail from DNR sometime in the near future.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 June 2nd, 2010 Category: Garrett County News, News

There is no new progress to report on the proposed changes to the lake regulations dealing with how many personal watercraft may be moored at private Type A and common boat docks. This proposed regulation would essentially get rid of all the PWCs stands that can found along the shoreline. Deep Creek Lake Manager Carolyn Mathews has stated that during the public comment period the DNR received several very detailed comments and concerns against the proposed changes to the lake regulations

Ms. Mathews also reported that the Superintendent of the Park Service, Nita Settina, found the comments to be of merit and is giving them due consideration before moving forward with any changes. Ms. Settina plans to visit Deep Creek Lake this summer and will weigh the points brought forth in the comments against the proposed regulation changes and may suggest an alternative to the proposal.

The public comments on the changes are posted on the Deep Creek Lake website at…

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/deepcreeknrma.asp

Updates will be posted on this website as they are made available. This is the new DNR website for information about the lake. This site is separate from the state park website and will have more lake specific information posted over time.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 May 26th, 2010 Category: Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Garrett County News, Garrett County Real Estate, News

Yesterday morning, the County Commissioners approved the proposed revisions to the three main county land use and development ordinances - the Deep Creek Lake watershed zoning ordinance, the county subdivision ordinance, and the county sensitive areas ordinance. This completes a process that began in May 2009.

The Planning Commission proposed the final revisions following a public hearing in March. The Garrett County Commissioners accepted the proposal without any changes and approved it as drafted by the Planning Commission.

The changes become effective June 1, 2010. They will soon be available on the county web site at http://www.garrettcounty.org/PlanningLand/Main.aspx?tabid=1

The major changes from the original proposals include;

• A major reduction in the size of the Scenic Protection Overlay districts along with new construction in these districts are now NOT required to retain or plant tress in front of the house - new construction must now have trees planted or retained on the sides and rear of the house. The original proposal would have blocked and obstructed views of the lake from these houses.
• Mandatory clustering is NOT required in lands classified either AR (Agricultural Resource) and RR (Rural Resource). The original proposal called for mandatory clustering and the creation of a resource parcel. Mandatory clustering could have restricted or limited a property owner’s ability to subdivide in the future.

The County Commissioners and Planning Commission should be commended for listening to public comment and taking into consideration the many concerns from owners of real estate throughout Garrett County and the Deep Creek Lake area.

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 May 14th, 2010 Category: Garrett County News, News

In an effort to better manage lake water levels, a local group of property and real estate owners at Deep Creek Lake have established an online petition to extend normal water levels later in the boating season.

The normal boating season at Deep Creek Lake usually runs from mid April thru mid October. However, many property owners located in the shallower coves have recently experienced much shorter boating seasons. This is mainly due to the drawing down of the lake much sooner in the past few years.  Because these draw downs are occurring sooner, many property owners in the shallower coves are being forced to take their boats out of the water by September in most cases.

The power company that owns the hydroelectric facility and the Deep Creek dam, Brookfield Power, is currently responsible for lowering the water levels as the boating season progresses. During each month the lake level must fall within a certain elevation range known as the ‘rule bands.’ The rule band requirements and lake level start high each year- in April and May - and then gradually go down until October and November. The draw downs of the lake are based on rainfall, the rule bands, electricity demand, and planned timed releases. The Maryland Department of Environment sets the rule bands.  Previous owners of the dam and hydroelectric facility have allowed the lake levels to stay on the high end of the rule bands - which has generally resulted in problem free boating seasons for property owners in the shallower coves until mid October.

This petition is one of the first steps in trying to create a constructive dialogue with Brookfield Power about this issue by making them more aware that the draw downs occurring during the last few years have negatively affected the boating season and property owners in the shallower coves.  Attempts to create more dialogue on this issue have also occurred in the most recent Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board meetings. If you boat on Deep Creek Lake or own real estate, we would encourage you to sign this petition to help create more awareness that the lake levels should be better managed. Initial responses from Brookfield Power seem positive as representatives have recently indicated they were not aware how many boaters and property owners were affected. Hopefully this petition and continued dialogue will result in more normal water levels in the later parts of the boating season going forward.

Click Here for the Online Petition to Better Manage Deep Creek Lake Water Levels

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 April 23rd, 2010 Category: Deep Creek Lake Activities, Deep Creek Lake Area Things To Do, Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Garrett County News, News, Wisp Real Estate, Wisp Ski Resort

The Wisp Ski Resort at Deep Creek Lake recently announced a new attraction. Construction of a Zip-line ride near the Bear Claw Tubing Park is expected to begin shortly and should be open to the public in the summer of 2010. The new attraction is going to be named the Flying Squirrel Canopy Tour.  A Zip-line is basically a pulley on a cable that allows a rider to traverse down an incline using gravity while holding on to a pulley. The riders are attached to the pulley and cable with a safety harness. The new Zip-line, which is very popular in other resort areas, will add to the area’s many other diverse activities and continue to make Wisp a popular year round destination.

Hale Irwin Lodestone Golf Course & Wisp Real Estate Update

All 18 holes are now complete. The front 9 opened last fall to play and will re-open again May 1^st of this year. The back 9 holes are scheduled to open in June 2010.  Reviews from golfers who have played the course say its “spectacular”.  The scenery is incredible as some holes feature breathtaking views of Deep Creek Lake. A temporary clubhouse will be set up this summer and Hale Irwin himself will be here on July 10^th for a reception and to play the course. Lodestone is also offering a Trial Use Membership for 2010 (pdf).

All roads are now complete in the Greenbrier subdivisions at Lodestone.  Construction of two new residential houses fronting the golf course is expected to begin shortly.

Including the new golf course home sites, DC Development has developed 540 building lots atop Wisp Mountain since 1994. There is a potential for a total of 2,301 home sites atop Wisp.

Other recent Wisp news and updates;

• The 2009/2010 ski season was very good. The Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County area received record amounts of natural snow. The Wisp reported that skier visits were up about 2% over of the previous winter season. The ski area closed for the season on April 4^th of this year.
• The Mountain Coaster continues to be very popular with tourists and visitors.
• The Wisp plans to continue its annual Easter Sunrise Service. Visitors can ride the chair lifts to the top of the mountain for free and watch the sunrise as Easter services are conducted.

Please contact us if you would like to explore any real estate opportunities at Wisp and the new Lodestone Golf Course - including home sites, building lots, townhomes, or existing houses for sale.

Click Here for all Railey Realty listed Home Sites, Building Lots, Real Estate, and Houses for Sale at Wisp Ski Resort.

(Photo courtesy of D. A. Horchner/Design Workshop)

By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 April 15th, 2010 Category: Garrett County News, News

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into legislation yesterday a new law that will require all children 13 years of age and under to wear lifejackets (personal flotation devices) while boating on state waterways - including Deep Creek Lake. The previous regulation only required children 7 years of age and under to wear lifejackets while on a boat that is underway. This new age requirement for PFDs goes into effect immediately.

Going into effect later this year (October 1^st) is new legislation that impacts the requirements of children operating boats on Deep Creek Lake and all other state waterways who are 16 years of age and under. The new law will require children under the age of 16 to possess a certificate of boating safety education before they can operate a boat AND (1) either be supervised by someone 18 years or older who is also aboard the boat, or (2) be supervised by someone 16 years or older with a boating safety certificate who is aboard the boat. Children between the ages of 12 and 16 years will no longer be able to operate a boat by themselves with just a boating safety certificate - the new law essentially requires supervision by someone older who must be aboard the boat while the younger person is driving.

While boating accidents are very, very rare on Deep Creek Lake, these new laws are aimed to improve overall safety and to get Maryland more in line with other states and federal laws.