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Subscribe via RSSDeep Creek Lake Property Owners Could Be Affected By Proposed Legislation
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By: Mike Kennedy mkennedy@railey.com 301-616-6106 April 3rd, 2009 Category: Deep Creek Lake Real Estate, Garrett County Real Estate, News |
For those not following the current Maryland legislative session, two bills recently introduced could have a significant effect on Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County homeowners, planning, zoning, and growth in the not so distant future.
If passed and signed into law by the governor, HB1116 and SB 878 would impose performance standards statewide to measure the achievement of both planning and growth by the year 2018. These bills would mandate that 80% of all growth in Maryland occur in designated Priority Funding (PFAs). In a rural county such as Garrett, the effects will be obvious especially when almost all growth occurs outside of our PFAs.
In Garrett County there are only a few PFAs - two smaller areas near the towns of Oakland and Deer Park. The Deep Creek Lake area is not located in a PFA. Less than 5% of all the land mass in Garrett County is located within a PFA!
These bills could make it possible by the year 2018 and beyond for all property and real estate owners in the Deep Creek Lake area to be denied building permits altogether- and not just those seeking to build a new house - renovations , remodeling, and additions require a building permit as well - those could be denied as well. And this won’t be limited to the Deep Creek area - other non PFA areas of Garrett County will be affected as well. The only building and growth in the county could be restricted to those few smaller PFAs in Oakland and Deer Park. These bills could also restrict MDE approval for storm water management permits which would essentially shut down new subdivisions along with townhome and condo developments in the Deep Creek Lake area as well by the year 2018.
These bills seem to make sense in other densely populated Maryland counties down state- but not a rural county like Garrett with hardly any PFAs. This could significantly slow down second and vacation home growth altogether in the Deep Creek Lake area leading to a stagnant tax base and job losses in the building trades. Right now Garrett County has a really good situation- a majority of the tax base consists of second home owners who don’t live here full time. They pay most of the taxes needed to run the county and the schools yet they hardly use any of the services. The Garrett County Commissioners and Garrett County Board of Realtors have formally opposed these bills along with Delegate Bietzel and Senator Edwards. If you own property in Garrett County or at Deep Creek Lake and are concerned about these bills and the restrictions they could place on your property please contact your legislative representative.
Tags: Deep Creek Lake Building Permits, Deep Creek Lake Growth