Garrett planning panel urges county officials to endorse petition to allow boat rentals
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Garrett County Planning Commission voted Wednesday to recommend that county commissioners endorse a petition by William Meagher, owner of Lakeside Commercial Properties LLC, to amend the Deep Creek Watershed Zoning Ordinance to allow him to offer boat rentals without the services associated with it.
The motion to modify Meagher’s petition specifies that it’s contiguous with only boat rentals in the town center and the use would only be permitted on properties that have a minimum of 200 feet of lake frontage. The motion passed with three in favor, one recusal and one abstention. Bill Weissgerber, an alternate with the planning commission, abstained from voting and voiced concerns about safety.
“I’m not going to vote on it right now because I want to think more on it based on what I heard today,” said Weissgerber.
Weissgerber said he agreed with the opinion of Jonathan “Smiley” Kessler, owner of Smiley’s Sports Bar and Grill at the lake.
“This discussion is asking zoning to do something that it really isn’t equipped to do and that is deal with market economy,” said Kessler. “Market economy will determine how many marinas are needed, how many can be successful.”
Three owners of local marinas also voiced concerns about safety.
“We don’t need this kind of operation in Deep Creek Lake. It’s in an unsafe location, it’s too congested there, those watercrafts don’t even have reverse,” said Phil St. Moritz, owner and president of Bill’s Marine Service LLC, who initiated the original legal action to close down Meagher’s mini-marina. “I’m more concerned with the integrity of the lake. No way is it safe. I think under no circumstances should this mini-marina be allowed to open again.”
Gary Pfirrmann, owner of Deep Creek Lake Boat Rentals and Sales, said he almost got hit twice near Lakeside Creamery and Carol Jacobs, president of the Aquatic Center Inc. said one of her employees totaled his car in front of the business.
“I don’t think the planning commission or the county commissioners can base an ordinance on safety. If you want to you can talk to the state fire marshal or the State Highway Administration,” said Tony Doerr, vice chairman, who also noted that he was concerned about safety in the area of Lakeside Creamery.
Pfirrmann noted that all marinas should be on the same level playing field and that the five marinas in the area were required to have the same acreage and parking.
“We had to jump through hoops and for 18 years I jumped through hoops,” said Pfirrmann.
Meagher commented on the safety aspect of the mini-marina.
“We have operated within last year and have had all of our vehicles parked in the lot,” said Meagher. “Part of this zoning text amendment is to allow for parking.”
The owners of the local marinas also asked that the planning commission vote against Meagher’s petition to amend the ordinance.
Bob Nickle, general manager of Bill’s Marine Service, said that by allowing the amendment the planning commission was creating spot zoning.
“The whole idea of a zoning ordinance is it’s there to protect the public and the citizens of Garrett County as a whole,” said Nickle. “If we keep whittling away and making small changes here and small changes there, what merit, what validity does this zoning ordinance hold?”
The commissioners will have a public hearing before they make a final decision on the planning commission’s recommendation, according to Troy Ellington, president of the planning commission.
Meagher complied after he was recently ordered to cease operations of the mini-marina.
During a hearing in June in Garrett County Circuit Court, Judge Jim Sherbin found that a previous zoning amendment that allowed Meagher to run the mini-marina was of no legal effect and ordered that the decision by the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals to issue Meagher a permit be reversed.
Contact Elaine Blaisdell at eblaisdell@times-news.com.
July State of Deep Creek Lake Meeting
The “State of Deep Creek Lake” will be presented on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 at Garrett College Auditorium beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting will be hosted by Secretary Joseph Gill, of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It will include updates on the current state of the lake and its natural resources, the latest information from the ongoing Deep Creek Lake Sediment Study and a description of the process for preparing a watershed management plan.
For more information, persons may call 301-387-4111.
Adventuresports Institute Awarded $250,000 Grant
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski (both D-Md.) announced last Friday that the Garrett County Board of Commissioners has received a $250,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to improve the educational facilities of the Adventuresports Institute (ASI) of Garrett College.
In addition to the grant, the project will be locally funded at $279,024 and with an additional $50,000 in other federal funds.
“Tourism means jobs in western Maryland and across our great state,” Cardin said. “This grant is about equipping young professionals with the important skills they need to showcase the splendor of western Maryland’s natural resources. ARC’s federal-local partnership is investing together in Garrett County’s economy, while raising the bar for new levels of responsible, environmental stewardship.”
The Adventuresports Institute is a wholly owned operation of Garrett College. It was founded as part of a strategy to establish Garrett County as an adventure sport tourism leader. The area’s distinctive four-season climate and diverse geology are supportive of adventure recreation activities.
ASI works with public and private entities to train professionals and produce leaders in adventure sports and recreation industries who have a strong sense of environmental stewardship and community service.
“This federal funding is an important investment in Garrett County’s economic security and the vitality of Western Maryland,” said Mikulski. “These funds will help build an industry that keeps Marylanders on the job and encourages people to visit our state. Tourism spurs all parts of the economy – from the adventure sites to the food stands. I will keep fighting for smart federal investments in Maryland communities.”
She added that this grant comes at an opportune time as its beneficiaries will be instrumental in ensuring that the International Canoe Federation’s Canoe Slalom World Championship in 2014 at Deep Creek Lake is a success.
Cardin is chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, and Mikulski is chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.
Getting a New Face
Thanks to the Eagle Scout project of local Boy Scout Troop 22 member A.J. Savopoulos, the 1950s B&O caboose at the Oakland B&O Railroad Station/Museum, the color of the car has been restored to its original red. His project will be completed in time for the grand opening of the Oakland B&O Railroad Museum, scheduled for Saturday, July 20, beginning at 1 p.m. Individuals, government agencies, and organizations that have been instrumental in this long-awaited opening will be represented at the ceremony, with Oakland Mayor Peggy Jamison serving as mistress of ceremonies. Appointed by the Oakland mayor and town council four years ago, an ad hoc committee partnered with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in Baltimore to transform Oakland’s 1884 station into a railroad museum. Chaired by former mayor Asa McCain, the committee consisted of 25 members, and there are 20 volunteers who help operate the museum on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday each week. The ribbon-cutting will take place at the front door of the museum immediately following speaker presentations. Tom Biery, president of the Western Maryland Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, will present a 30-minute digital slide program at 3 p.m. highlighting the B&O Railroad freight and passenger operation history in the Oakland area. His presentation will take place in the baggage room, which is now a learning center and theater. The learning center has state-of-the-art equipment recommended by Crellin Elementary School principal Dana McCauley and Craig Trautwein, also with the board of education. The Baltimore & Ohio Museum in Baltimore has exhibits in the Oakland B&O Museum, and the committee has added additional B&O exhibits and artifacts on loan and gifted by local residents. The B&O Museum will complement the Garrett County Historical Museum and Transportation Museum of Garrett County/Deep Creek Lake Gallery. Oakland’s station, which is on the National Registry of Historical Places, has received a $400,000 upgrade and restoration last year. The public is invited to attend the grand opening event.
Garrett County planners to discuss mini-marina issue
Elaine Blaisdell Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND — The Garrett County Planning Commission will meet Wednesday to discuss a petition by William Meagher, owner of Lakeside Commercial Properties LLC, to amend the Deep Creek Watershed zoning ordinance.
During a hearing in June in Garrett County Circuit Court, Judge Jim Sherbin found that a zoning amendment that allowed Meagher to run a mini-marina was of no legal effect and ordered that the decision by the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals to issue Meagher a permit be reversed.
The court issued Meagher a cease and desist order June 26 and he had until July 3 to respond.
On June 5, 2012, the county commissioners voted to make amendments to the Deep Creek Watershed zoning ordinance to allow Meagher to have a marina that doesn’t offer the services associated with it.
A boat rental permit was issued by the Board of Zoning Appeals on June 11, 2012, to Meagher. St. Moritz Properties LLC, Bill’s Marine Service Inc. and Silver Tree Marine LLC appealed the issuance of the permit. The Board of Zoning Appeals denied the appeal and upheld the issuance of the permit.
Meagher rents personal watercrafts and pontoon boats.
The planning commission will meet Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the County Commissioners Meeting Room in the courthouse annex.
Retire Here, Not There: Maryland - Oakland top 5 in state
Oakland
Tucked away in the northwestern corner of Maryland, Oakland is a tiny town with outsize opportunities for outdoor activities. Oakland abuts the 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake, the largest lake in Maryland. The lake is used for recreation year-round, with ice fishing and cross-country skiing in the winter (the average ice thickness is 18 inches); fishing, canoeing and kayaking in the spring, fall and summer; and swimming and tubing (a favorite with the grandkids) in the hotter months.
Oakland is also within minutes of Wisp Resort, which has 132 acres of ski terrain, and five golf courses. It’s home to Adventure Sports Center International, which has a mountaintop white-water rapids course (one of the few in the world) and is the official venue for the 2014 Canoe Slalom World Championships.
All this outdoor recreation comes with a reasonable price tag: The cost of living is roughly average for the country, compared with 20% higher than average statewide, and the median home costs just over $130,000. That said, the town is tiny, with few restaurants or other amenities, and it takes a good 2½ hours to reach the nearest major international airport, in Pittsburgh. More here.
Proceeds Of Benefit Golf Tourney, Other Events, Will Exceed $90,000
by Don Sincell
Despite rain and threats of rain, the second annual William G. Weissgerber Benefit Golf Tournament held this past Friday and Saturday at the Lodestone and Oakland golf courses was a resounding success, as the tourney and various other fundraisers held in conjunction grossed an estimated $117,000 for three local non-profit programs.
According to organizers, it is anticipated that the profit from the event will exceed $90,000, to be split among Landon’s Library, the Andrew S. Woods Memorial Athletic Scholarship Fund, and Samantha’s Funding for the Arts.
Brian and Crystal Roberson-Boal, Tom and Debbie Woods, and Charlie and June McCloskey – respective parents of Landon Boal, Andrew Woods, and Samantha Gibson – spearheaded the effort; however, they were quick to state that the project would not have been nearly as successful without major support from numerous other individuals, organizations, and businesses.
“Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought that this tournament and the other events would have raised that kind of money,” Tom Woods said. “It’s just a real testament to the kind of people who live here in our community.”
“This tournament started with Bill Weissgerber coming to me two years ago with the idea that we could go a golf tournament and raise a few thousand dollars for Landon’s Library,” said Brian Boal. “He thought it might raise $2,500, but we shattered that prediction, as it generated about 10 times that. The community support has been just tremendous.
“It was truly an incredible weekend, and it seemed very evident that three kids ‘on the other side’ were present,” said Boal, who added that some of his fellow alumni from West Virginia University traveled from as far away as Michigan and Texas to participate in the event.
According to Woods and Boal, there were many examples of what appeared to be “divine intervention” throughout the two-day fund-raiser.
“There was one thing after another that made us really believe we were getting ‘help from above,'” Woods said.
He said that on Friday morning it was “raining buckets” at the Lodestone course at the Wisp in McHenry – that is, until about 15 minutes before tee-time of the event.
“It stopped raining, and it didn’t start again until just as the final foursome was completing the last hole,” he said.
Hundreds of 50-50 raffle tickets were sold at Friday’s round, and after stirring all of the tickets in a large bucket, Woods reached deep into the pile, only to pull out his own ticket. So he simply returned his winnings to the cause.
Another 50-50 raffle was held the following day at the Oakland Golf Club course, and the winner of that one was Bill German, another local parent who lost an infant daughter and in whose memory he and his wife Brittany had started a fund to provide blankets for newborns at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. So the $525 he won will go directly into that charity.
Yet another odd occurrence was the story surrounding the winner of the helicopter golf ball drop.
A Message From Heaven?
The appearance of a rainbow right at the conclusion of the second annual William George Weissgerber Benefit Golf Tournament was but one of many extraordinary events that occurred over the course of the two-day tourney this past weekend, held at both the Lodestone and Oakland club courses. A number of other activities, raffles, and events were held in conjunction with the tournament, with all proceeds benefiting Landon’s Library, the Andrew S. Woods Memorial Scholarship Fund, and Samantha’s Funding for the Arts. The event grossed an incredible $117,000, with an estimated net amount of $90,000 to be divided among the three programs. Pictured above are the parents of the three in whose memories the programs were founded. From left are June and Charlie McCloskey, parents of Samantha Gibson; Debbie and Tom Woods, parents of Andrew; and Crystal and Brian Boal, parents of Landon Boal. See story for details.
A busy Saturday at Deep Creek Lake
I took this shot while showing some clients a home in Mountainside on Saturday. You can own a house right there for $799k or buy a lot here for $295k and build your own place with this view!
Price drop! $5k off 1839 Smouse Rd - GA8118781 - $174,900
Renovated split level home in Pleasant Valley! Coveted location in the valley with pastoral views surrounding the property. 1 large, grassy acre of land, offering 2 outbuildings. Upgrades include shiny hardwood floors, ceramic tile, 6 panel doors, rear deck, bathroom addition, fixtures and carpet. Lush landscaping, spacious bedrooms, and 3 heat sources make this home worth a look – great value!
http://deepcreeklake.com/RealEstate/JayFerguson/detail.aspx?id=GA8118781
