Category: liberty mews

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Contractors are seen here giving the new Liberty Mews housing facility a final sweep before its grand opening, which took place today. The town homes, located off Liberty Street in Oakland, are the most recent project of the Garrett County Community Action Committee. The project consists of 36 homes, 10 two-bedroom units approximately 1,930 square feet and 26 three-bedroom units approximately 2,289 square feet. Three of the units are handicapped accessible. The town homes are designed to mimic old world English mews, with appointed private porches and second-level terraces that face a cobblestone laden village courtyard and “carriage” garages.

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Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

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Aug. 4, 2011

In the same month that Oakland mayor Peggy Jamison announced the completion of Garrett County Community Action’s new Liberty Mews town homes, all 36 units were filled with new residents through the efforts of the management company Garrettland Inc. A grand opening and dedication was held today at the pavilion of the Glades Community Park.

“Garretland Inc. is noted for its excellence in keeping the 560 units it manages looking great for a lifetime,” stated Cindy Sharon, GCCAC director of real estate development.

“Keeping properties beautiful is as important as building them beautifully.”

Devlin Inc., which also built the Liberty Square apartment complex adjacent to Liberty Mews, served as the general contractor on the project. During construction, Devlin Inc. was required to work closely with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

“Douglas Devlin, who designed and supervised the construction for Liberty Mews, raised the bar for workforce housing in the state of Maryland,” said Sharon.

The town homes are designed to mimic old world English mews, with appointed private porches and second-level terraces that face a cobblestone laden village courtyard and “carriage” garages.

While the exteriors feature traditional carriage-style lanterns and stone and wood exterior covering, the interiors are characterized by brightly colored great rooms with atrium arched windows and French doors with laminate-wood plank flooring and the modern energy-conserving appliances and lighting.

The Maryland Energy Administration provided funds to assist with the purchase of the Energy Star appliances in the homes. According to a spokesperson, affordable utilities are just as critical as an affordable house payment.

In addition to being Garrett County’s first Energy Star rated housing units, the town homes are the country’s first lease-to-purchase LIHTC workforce units.

Financing for the development was provided by First United Bank and Trust, the state of Maryland, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.

Liberty Mews LP is the developer, owner and operator of the facility. It is a limited partnership created by the GCCAC for the purpose of developing and managing the project.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

Stephanie Weaver

The Cumberland Times-News Fri Aug 05, 2011, 10:56 PM EDT

— OAKLAND — Offering a new option for members of Garrett County’s work force, the state’s top housing official said, “this is not just about dollars and cents” at the grand opening and dedication of Liberty Mews townhomes.

“We are celebrating 36 new families in your community,” Ray Skinner, secretary of Maryland Housing and Community Development, said.

However, the project started with a last-minute hunt for funding, according to Duane Yoder, president of the Garrett County Community Action Committee.

The group went to Skinner for help after being denied funds from other sources who “didn’t do rural projects.”

Skinner said he could aid the project if “they broke ground in less than 30 days and were completed in two years.”

His solution was economic stimulus money. “Stimulus money made it happen,” he said.

According to Yoder, the group got to work right away. The two-year construction project “help-ed economic development di-rectly,” and Skinner estimates that $10 million went back into the county.

Liberty Mews, located on Mews Crescent Drive, is comprised of 36 townhomes for the low-income work force. It’s part of an even bigger project called River Hill, an entire development of affordable housing for the county just a walk away from the center of Oakland.

“Housing is such a visible part of our community,” Lowell Bender, a member of the Garrett County Community Action Committee Board said, when driving around the town.

Skinner saw a need for affordable housing given the “income level and high unemployment” in Garrett County. Affordable housing for the work force is a big part of the county’s economic development plan, according to Yoder.

“I don’t know if you’ll ever have enough,” he said.

He and Community Action have been working on the project for about 15 years, including other affordable housing called the Yough and the Glades. The grand opening of Liberty Mews marked the 15th anniversary of the Glades.

“We keep going ahead,” he said, also stating that he didn’t know if he could take 15 more years of it.

Devlin Inc. of Pittsburgh constructed the 12 buildings that contain 10 two-bedroom and 26 three-bedroom townhomes. All models have Energy Star appliances and lighting, garages and private porches or terraces.

“I’m really pleased with the project,” previous Mayor Asa McCain said.

Townhome applications are being accepted by Community Action.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!