More Google for Garrett County

I got my 3 seconds of fame in this Google video 🙂 Great job Brian Oxford on the video!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVqjahld-9I&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

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

Grants available for solar energy systems

March 28, 2010

Grants available for solar energy systems
For the Cumberland Times-News
Cumberland Times-News

— CUMBERLAND — An incentive program for installing mid-sized solar energy systems has up to $1.45 million available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Maryland Energy Administration has announced.

This two-year program will can help lower the cost of rooftop solar energy systems for commercial buildings, allowing more Maryland businesses to receive the benefits of clean renewable energy from the sun.

“The challenge for many businesses is that the costs for solar energy systems are all up-front, while the benefits accrue over many years of use,” said MEA Director Malcolm Woolf. “The mid-sized incentive program, combined with the federal investment tax credit of 30 percent, is designed to help lower the up-front cost of these renewable energy systems so that businesses can continue to invest in clean renewable energy despite the difficult economy.”

The incentive program covers two technologies — solar photovoltaic, which converts light into electricity, and solar water heating, which converts light into heat energy to supplement natural gas or electric water heating. Through the MEA grant program, Marylanders can qualify for a rebate of $500 per kilowatt of photovoltaic capacity installed for systems between 20 and 100 KW, up to $50,000 per grant, and 15 percent of the system cost for a solar hot water system up to $25,000 per grant at this time.

“Maryland’s mid-sized solar grant program is a true win for local businesses and workers,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley. “By taking advantage of this new resource, not only will businesses see a reduction in energy usage and operational costs in the long term, but they will also become a part of a Maryland that is Smart, Green and Growing, by taking this step to reduce their carbon footprint.”

For additional information, visit the Web site http://www.energy.state.md.us/incentives/business/MidSizedSolarGrants.asp

Earlier this year, the O’Malley- Brown administration launched the Maryland Green Registry, a voluntary, self-certification program that offers tips and resources to help organizations set and meet their own goals on the path to sustainability. For additional information, make a visit to http://www.mde.maryland.gov/MarylandGreen

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

Clear-Cutting Project For Wind Turbines Abruptly Halted By MDE

Clear-Cutting Project For Wind Turbines Abruptly Halted By MDE

Mar. 25, 2010

Work began in earnest this past week in clearing forest land near Eagle Rock just south of Deer Park for the erection of over two dozen 400-plus-foot wind turbines, the first to be erected in Garrett County.
The project calls for the placement of 28 turbines along that section of Backbone Mountain, with an additional 17 in the Roth Rock area of the same mountain ridge, just south of Red House.

Startled residents in the Eagle Rock area, some located within just 15 or 20 feet of the project, used words such as “shocked” and “horrified” when they were awakened by the sound of chainsaws, trucks, dozers, and massive excavating machines felling thousands of trees adjacent to their properties. Several acres of forestland timber were leveled within a matter of a few days.

The project, however, came to an abrupt halt Tuesday after one of the residents – who happens to be a contractor – suggested that the work was being done in a manner that was not in compliance with state environmental law.

“I don’t think they counted on someone living up there who knows all about such things as excavation and building permits,” said Eric Robison, who recently constructed his own new home close to the site.

Evidently Robison’s concerns were legitimate, as the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) ordered Constellation Energy and the contractor, All Construction Inc., Mt. Storm, W.Va., to immediately cease any further grading or disturbance activities, take corrective action to eliminate the discharge of sediment-laden water, and submit to the Garrett Soil Conservation District a revised erosion and sediment control plan to address the current plan’s sediment control deficiencies.

More specifically, according to MDE information office spokesperson Jay Apperson, a super silt fence was not properly installed at least eight inches below the ground surface, and consequently sediment laden water was flowing under and around the fence.

In addition, he said, the volume of water flow on the site appears to be much greater than the controls required by the current erosion and sediment control plan can effectively handle to prevent significant sediment flow off site.

Melisa and Justin Carrico, who reside directly across the street from the site where a high-voltage substation is to be constructed for the wind farm, contacted the Garrett County commissioners, requesting that they come out to the site to observe what was taking place. The commissioners declined the invitation, but agreed to meet with the Carricos at the courthouse Tuesday morning.

Among those present besides the Carricos were Commissioners Ernie Gregg and Fred Holliday, county administrator Monty Pagenhardt, and Robison, a neighbor of the Carricos.

“I feel as though I have lost all faith in the government to protect me,” Melisa Carrico told the commissioners in a prepared statement. “To know that what happened to me will happen to many other families, neighborhoods, and environments in Garrett County is absolutely unacceptable.”

She criticized the commissioners, saying that what is happening to her and her neighbors is an “act of destroying my safety, my environment, my property, and my community.”

“Yet you act as though you had no idea, and that you are sorry for about being part of a county government that obviously doesn’t protect its citizens,” she said.

Robison estimated the value of his new house to be at least $400,000, but acknowledged that this figure is now greatly diminished because of the project.

“Numerous groups have suggested many times that safety precautions, as well as environmentally sound practices, be implemented,” Carrico continued. “It is evident that we, the citizens of this county, were not protected. On every occasion nothing was done. You had seven years to stand up and protect us. That is your job.”

Justin Carrico said that among the reasons they purchased their house, valued at nearly $200,000, where it is was because of its quiet, pristine location, and the beauty of the forests.

“It’s certainly not quiet anymore,” he said, “and the forest right across the road, where I enjoy turkey hunting, has been leveled.”

Concern was also expressed about the damage to Eagle Rock Road, with Robison saying that it is literally being destroyed by the heavy equipment.

“That road really does not have an adequate base under it anyway, and there’s not going to be much of it left,” he said.

Reportedly, Constellation Energy will be responsible for repair and/or replacement of the road, according to the commissioners.

Melisa Carrico repeatedly asked the commissioners what they were going to do to help her and her neighbors, but Gregg and Holliday did not respond initially. Finally, Commissioner Gregg said, “I don’t know, Melisa. I don’t know.”

After hearing about the alleged violations at the site, the commissioners did say they would immediately contact the various permitting agencies involved, as well as John Cook, enforcement officer for the MDE.

Cook later confirmed that the project had been shut down, at least temporarily, and referred the matter to Apperson at the information office.

When asked what the next step would be for the contractor to be able to resume work at the site, Apperson said that he would have to install the super silt fence properly, devise and implement corrective action to eliminate the discharge of sediment-laden water as soon as possible, and have an engineer submit a revised erosion and sediment control plan to address the current plan’s sediment control deficiencies to the Garrett Soil Conservation District for review and approval.

He said that if the revised plan is not approved by April 5, the contractor would have to stabilize the entire site and not disturb earth until a revised plan is approved and implemented.

In addition, he would be required to submit copies of self-inspections for the site.

“MDE is reviewing the situation at the site to determine if the stream of water discharging from Eagle Rock Road should be considered to be state waters,” Apperson said, “in which case a waterway construction permit with additional requirements will be needed.”

Read the rest here.

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

Commissioners Award Bids For Local Projects

Jay’s note: I am really looking forward to the Cherry Glade access road, as I live in Mitchell Manor, and I can get to 219 faster! Not to mention the Dairy Queen Grill n Chill 🙂

Commissioners Award Bids For Local Projects

Mar. 25, 2010

The Garrett County commissioners approved two bid proposals on Tuesday. One pertains to the Cherry Glade Access Road Project, while the other involves the Garrett County Landfill Rubble Cell Capping Project.

Purchasing agent Brian Bowers, Garrett County Purchasing Department, told the commissioners that 17 companies responded to the county’s RFP (request for proposals) for engineering services for the Cherry Glade Access Road initiative. The county’s Selection Committee reviewed the proposals, and an overall evaluation summary was developed.

Based on such criteria as past experience, understanding of the entire project, current workload, and depth and variety of staff disciplines, the committee recommended the commissioners approve Highland Engineering’s $74,832.20 bid.

Commissioners Ernie Gregg and Fred Holliday approved the Oakland firm’s bid. Commissioner Denny Glotfelty did not attend the meeting, as he had another commitment.

The Cherry Glade project involves the demolition of an administration building at the former Garrett County Roads Department site, located along Rt. 219 in Oakland, and the creation of a road across the site from Rt. 219 to Fourth Street.

A new Roads Department garage was recently built at the county’s Public Works Center near Mtn. Lake Park. Construction of a new administration building at the center has been deferred until the economy improves.

Until then, Jay Moyer, general roads superintendent, and his administrative staff will be located at the Purchasing Department building, located across from the courthouse in Oakland. Bowers and staff will relocate their offices to the courthouse.

So far, the county has sold two lots to businesses at the old Roads Department property. A Dairy Queen is near completion, and construction of a Clear Mountain Bank will begin in the near future. The Cherry Glade Access Road will enable motorists to get to various businesses there from either Rt. 219 or Fourth Street.

The engineering portion of the project is being funded by the county, which has budgeted $150,000. Construction of the project’s Phase I is being funded with Appalachian Regional Commission money in the amount of $750,000.

Highland Engineering’s work will include the study and preliminary design phase, final design phase, and a traffic study.

Bowers said the firm anticipates that design work will be completed late this fall. Construction of the road itself is expected to be finished by summer 2011.

Holliday and Gregg noted that Highland’s bid was not the lowest one submitted and questioned why the committee preferred its proposal over others.

Bowers said Highland’s bid included a $12,039 stream restoration plan. The firm will be subcontracting with the Canaan Valley Institute to restore Cherry Glade Run.

Bowers said the stream is currently running through a culvert underground. He said Highland felt it would be more cost effective and more likely to receive the Maryland Department of the Environment’s approval to restore the stream than it would be to put in another underground culvert.

The commissioners also awarded BYCO Enterprises’ $187,032 bid to cap the Garrett County Landfill rubble cell. The Grantsville company had the lowest bid of the eight submitted.

“All eight bids received for this project were below the engineer’s estimate of $258,700,” Bowers said.

The county allocated $380,000 for the project in its Fiscal Year 2010 budget.

BYCO has 120 days from “notice to proceed” to finish its work, which includes clearing and grubbing, subgrading, stalling culverts, and seeding and mulching.

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

NRP Warns That Upper Potomac Should Be Avoided

NRP Warns That Upper Potomac Should Be Avoided

Mar. 25, 2010

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) has announced that boating and other recreational use of the Upper Potomac River, including its creeks and streams, should continue to be avoided based on information received from the National Weather Service and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). This advisory has been extended through tomorrow, Friday, March 26, and will be updated next week if necessary.
Because of recent precipitation, river levels are hazardous for recreational use on the entire main stem of the Uppor Potomac River from Kitzmiller to Little Falls. Hazardous stages are water levels which pose a threat to non-white-water vessels, tubers, swimmers, and other recreational users and are caused by wave action, water velocity, and treacherous currents. This condition may exist on tributaries of the Potomac as well.

This warning does not apply to professionally guided river trips. The public is reminded that river travel involves risks. Water and boating safety should be practiced always. The Maryland NRP reminds boaters to always wear a life jacket. It is mandatory to wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket while boating on the Potomac from Nov. 15 to May 15 each year.

For more information on current river conditions, persons may contact the National Weather Service at 703-996-2200.

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

Garrett County Agencies May Get Reimbursed For Storm Costs

Mar. 25, 2010

Local agencies may be eligible for federal disaster declaration funding to cover part of their recent snow removal costs, Director Brad Frantz, Garrett County Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management, told the county commissioners on Tuesday. The county received more than 262 inches of snow this winter.
Frantz said it does not appear that the county will be eligible for funding for the Dec. 18-19, 2009, winter storm. Only eight Maryland counties are expected to receive cleanup reimbursement for that weather event.

“However, it does look like we will be eligible for some reimbursement for the period of Feb. 5 through 14,” Frantz said about one of last month’s many storm systems.

County departments and towns will be asked to submit data to Frantz’s office pertaining to costs involved during that period. He and planner Virginia Smith will then compile the information into a spread sheet and forward it to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA representatives will then visit the county, review the original documents, and determine if the claims are valid.

Frantz noted, however, there are two thresholds that the county has to meet before it can qualify for the funding: snow amount and cost per capita. The director indicated there may be some debate over the snow amount qualification, but the county would have no problem reaching the per capita threshold.

“There’s the state per capita, I think, of $6.8 million that has to be met to get a federal declaration, and then there’s a county, based on population, threshold,” Frantz said. “Ours is $96,000+ that has to be met. We’ll have no problem reaching that for that period (Feb. 5-14).”

After FEMA verifies the documents, the county will host an applicants’ briefing to review filing procedures. Departments, agencies, and towns will be asked to look at their paperwork and determine what days during the declaration period they incurred the most costs.

“Whatever the greatest expense they had for any 48-hour window will be what’s eligible for reimbursement,” Frantz said.

Therefore, for example, the Garrett County Roads Department’s request period may differ from Loch Lynn’s.

Commissioner Fred Holliday asked if the discrepancies could hurt the county’s chance of getting funding.

“No,” Frantz said. “That actually helps us maximize what’s eligible for reimbursement.”

Read the rest here.

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

Oakland Resident Among Top 10 In Photo Contest

Jay’s note: My good friend (and neighbor!) Jim Crabtree is an incredible photgrapher and, as you can see, is very talented in creative with his photos. I highly recommend him if you are looking for photography work, and any special photo projects you may have! Check him out: http://www.crabtreephoto.com/

Mar. 25, 2010

A portrait image by Oakland photographer Jim Crabtree with model Kasey Bell of Oakland was recently picked as a top-10 winner in an international portrait photography competition.
The yearly competition was a showcase event called Fresh Faces – Stars of the WPPI. The contest was open to all photographers involved with the professional organization called Wedding & Portrait Professionals International (WPPI).

“This competition is considered one of the ‘super bowls’ of international photography, for WPPI and Rangefinder magazine,” Crabtree said. “The professional stage of the contest is complete and most important. The rest is basically determined by the most popular photographer who collects the most votes.”

Crabtree’s image of Bell, titled “The Mummy,” was shot as a greeting card concept, but with the idea of professional competition in mind when shooting.

The contest was held during WPPI’s recent annual international convention in Las Vegas, Nev., and was conducted in association with Rangefinder and After Capture magazines and sponsored by Adobe Systems Inc.

The contest was open to all international photographers and had over 1,000 entries from approximately 10 countries. A professional judging team then narrowed the field down to the 20 top images, based on technical skills, creativity, and impact.

The 20 top images were considered by the judges as having first place winning and magazine cover potential. The contest was then open to the public and professionals to vote online for their personal favorites.

According to Crabtree, he had a definite spot in the top 10 at the convention closing, with the possibility of moving up higher as the final votes were tabulated. (The final contest standings could not be obtained at press time.)

Over 77,500 votes were cast for the people’s choice portion of the competition.

Read the rest here.

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

Realtors' take on Maryland home prices

From the Baltimore Sun Real Estate Wonk:

Realtors’ take on Maryland home prices

We can be pretty certain that a lot of home buyers and sellers don’t see eye to eye on values, or else the average sale price wouldn’t be 11 percent lower than the asking price. But where do real estate agents stand in the debate?

Well, 85 percent polled in Maryland say sellers think their homes are worth more than they — the agents — believe it is, according to a new survey by real estate site HomeGain.

Most of that difference is pretty big.

Half the Maryland agents surveyed say their average clients think their homes are worth 10 to 20 percent more. Eleven percent say average clients think their homes are worth in excess of 20 percent more…..

Read the rest of the article here.

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

Bailing out underwater homeowners

This is an excerpt from the Baltimore Sun ‘Second Opinion’ Blog, specifically Andy Green. Mr. Green points out the nearly 25% of all Maryland homeowners are underwater on their mortgages:

Today, the Obama administration is announcing a major new effort to stem the foreclosure crisis by focusing on two groups: the unemployed and the rapidly growing share of homeowners who owe more on their mortgages than their houses are worth. Getting banks to temporarily reduce payments for the unemployed — or to let them skip payments altogether for a time — fits in with many of the administration’s previous efforts to help those who find they are unable, because of the economic downturn, to meet their mortgage obligations. But the second part of the plan, helping those with so-called “underwater” mortgages reduce the amount of principal they owe, may be more difficult for many Americans to swallow.

The plan calls for the government to use $14 billion in Troubled Asset Relief Program money to provide incentives for banks to reduce the amount of principal homeowners owe and for the Federal Housing Administration to help underwater borrowers refinance into loans they can afford. New programs would also help borrowers who have second mortgages.

That may be galling to many who see it as a bailout of people who made bad decisions. In some cases, it is. But this is an occasion when we have to swallow our sense of economic justice out of self interest. Nearly a quarter of Maryland residents owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, the seventh-highest rate in the nation. In the Baltimore area, the figure is 17 percent. And nobody is forecasting the real estate market to rebound fast enough to change that in a major way for years. That means more homes are at risk of foreclosure, and more people are going to simply start walking away from their mortgages, risking a further cratering of the real estate market. If that happens, people who didn’t make foolish decisions and have kept up their obligations could be at risk if we don’t take action.

The key will be making sure we also enact sufficient regulatory reforms to make sure the excesses of the real estate boom aren’t repeated, just as the financial reform now working its way through Congress serves as some assurance that we won’t soon find ourselves bailing out investment banks again. But Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified before Congress this week that the administration has no plan yet for how to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant publicly backed companies that helped fuel the subprime mortgage boom; the White House has previously said that legislation dealing with that could be more than a year off. We can’t afford to wait that long.

More from the Baltimore Sun.

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

Garrett County has the lowest foreclosure rate in Maryland - Gazette.net

Legislation requires lenders to help stem foreclosures
State had 10th highest rate in U.S. last month
by Kevin James Shay | Staff Writer

Foreclosures jumped to 5,732 in February across Maryland, up 9.6 percent from January and 80.5 percent from a year earlier, according to Irvine, Calif., data company RealtyTrac. Maryland’s rate of one foreclosure filing for every 407 households was the 10th highest in the nation, up from 13th in January and 16th a year ago.

Prince George’s County continues to lead the state in the number and rate of foreclosures with 1,789 filed last month, or one for every 179 households. Baltimore city and the counties of Frederick, Charles, Calvert and Kent also had foreclosure rates above the state average. Garrett County had the lowest rate in the state last month, with only eight foreclosures or one filing per 2,378 housing units.

Meanwhile, foreclosure filings across the nation slowed last month. They were down 2.3 percent from January and up only 6.2 percent from a year ago.

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) went on the offensive last week to lobby for legislation that would require lenders to work with homeowners to modify their loans before filing foreclosure orders. The businesses would have to send homeowners a detailed explanation of requirements for the lenders’ loan modification program and a loss mitigation application, among other items.

The lenders would have to file affidavits stating that a loan modification review had been done and the reasons they denied modifying the loan. They would also have to document that alternatives other than foreclosures were considered. Homeowners who have not received the loan modification review would be able to request a foreclosure mediation session.

“This legislation will provide homeowners a chance to explore any and all options to find a positive resolution and remain in their homes,” Brown said in a speech at the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Washington, according to his office.

Kathleen Murphy, president and CEO of the Maryland Bankers Association, also testified last month, saying she was concerned that a loss mitigation analysis would be required before a foreclosure could be filed, according to an Associated Press report. A foreclosure filing often prompts borrowers to talk about loss mitigation, Murphy said.

Among states, Nevada’s rate of one per 102 households led the nation last month, while Vermont posted the lowest rate with one filing per 39,077 units.

Foreclosures in Maryland are increasing despite state officials claiming that a counseling and legal program has provided more than $5.5 million in assistance and helped about 11,000 homeowners avoid foreclosures since mid-2007. The state has also enacted other measures, such as a mortgage fraud protection law and a streamlined loss mitigation process with six of the largest servicers in Maryland.

Factors for the increase in foreclosures despite efforts to remedy the situation include the sour economy, according to a recent analysis by the state Department of Legislative Services.

“Despite the impact of extensive state legislative and consumer outreach efforts … total foreclosure activity in Maryland continues to increase as state residents feel the effects of rising unemployment and declining home values,” the department reported.

Home sales rise

The volume of existing homes sold in Maryland rose by almost 20 percent in February from February 2009, but the average sales price of about $280,000 was down by 7 percent, according to the Maryland Association of Realtors.

The extended and expanded federal homebuyer tax credit is helping fuel sales in Maryland, according to the trade group. The $8,000 credit for first-time homebuyers runs until April 30 for signed contracts and June 30 for closings. There is also a tax credit of up to $6,500 for certain existing homeowners who purchase a replacement principal residence.
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