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Apr. 29, 2010
The Board of Garrett County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing concerning proposed revisions to three principal land development ordinances on Saturday, May 8, at 9 a.m. in the Garrett College auditorium. All interested citizens are invited.
The proposed revisions would affect the Deep Creek Watershed Zoning, Garrett County Subdivision, and Garrett County Sensitive Areas ordinances.
The Garrett County Department of Planning and Land Development released initial preliminary drafts of these three ordinances for public review on Sept. 29, 2009.
Deep Creek Watershed Zoning Ordinance
1. New zoning districts are proposed: Agricultural Resource (AR), Rural Resource (RR), and Lake Residential–2 (LR-2) are new districts intended to preserve rural character and conserve natural resources by limiting residential development to a relatively low average density.
New standards for subdivisions in the AR and RR districts are proposed using either a cluster or non-cluster option with incentives to promote cluster subdivision. The Rural Development (RD) district is proposed to be eliminated.
2. A Scenic Protection Overlay District is proposed for those areas identified as “crestlines” on the proposed zoning map. This provision is intended to preserve the scenic views of the ridge tops and crest lines surrounding Deep Creek Lake. Requirements for retaining and planting trees on the sides and rear of structures when viewed from the lake and shoreline are proposed.
3. Architectural standards for non-residential structures in the Town Center (TC), Town Residential (TR), and General Commercial (GC) zoning districts for metal buildings are proposed.
4. Provisions, including setbacks, for domestic, agricultural, and industrial wind energy devices are proposed.
5. New setbacks for drilling for natural gas are proposed.
6. New provisions for nonconforming structures and grandfathered non-conforming lots are proposed.
Garrett County
Subdivision Ordinance
1. The AR and RR land classifications are proposed to be expanded, and new standards for subdivisions in these areas are proposed using either a cluster or noncluster option with incentives to promote cluster subdivision.
2. A provision that would allow the Planning Commission to require a traffic impact study for major subdivisions is proposed.
3. A provision to retain trees and other vegetative cover for new subdivisions abutting scenic byways is proposed.
4. Provisions to delineate the boundaries of any wetlands or Source Water Protection Areas on subdivision plans are proposed.
Garrett County Sensitive Areas Ordinance
1. Provisions to protect Source Water Protection Areas are proposed.
2. A provision to limit the exemption from the steep slope requirements to lots of record that are less than four acres is proposed.
3. A provision to prevent construction of buildings on man-made slopes exceeding 30% grade is proposed.
4. A provision to use the Maryland Sensitive Species Project Review Areas map as the indicator for referring applicants to Department of Natural Resources is proposed.
If you are thinking of 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! 877-563-5350
