Deep Creek Dispatch
Winter 2004

Newsletter of the
Property Owners' Association
of Deep Creek Lake, Incorporated

The County's Public Utilities department continues to search for an appropriate funding mechanism for the current sanitary system maintenance and repair which must shortly be undertaken and to examine an expansion of the current use. Presently proposed is expansion on Marsh Mountain, at Stockslager Road and to an area North of US Route 219 in the vicinity of Foodland Fresh at McHenry. POA Board member Ed King, is a member of the County's Public Utilities advisory panel and is monitoring the latest information which is available.

POA's opposition to a request for a variance from the new zoning requirements relating to parking at a development along Glendale Road by DCL Properties, LLC (which would have permitted half the number of required parking spaces) was joined by at least thirteen others and resulted in the Zoning Appeals Board's denial of the requested variance.

Your president has been appointed to the County's new Task Force to meet with and advise Environmental Resources Management, the selected consultant which will conduct the new study of the Deep Creek Watershed to determine "current development trends, existing plans, policies and regulations affecting" the watershed and to propose an appropriate new plan with concomitant regulations, if warranted. The Task Force is composed of ten persons, representing POA, Chamber of Commerce, real estate businesses, rental groups, the County Planning Commission and five at large members. It will confer for the first time with ERM January 26. ERM is the entity which conducted the Lake's carrying capacity study this past summer for DNR and the Policy and Review Board and so is familiar with the area. Your secretary, Carole Perez, will be interviewed one-on-one for POA's point of view on critical issues on January 26. If you want to propose or suggest issues for the consultant's consideration, please let me know by e-mail (fthayer@mindspring.com) or phone, 301-387-4248. You are certainly more than welcome to attend any of the public meetings which will be advertised by ERM.

We hope to continue to keep on top of what's going on locally (and State wide as well) which will affect our use and enjoyment of the Lake. See you at the General meeting June 26.

Fred A. Thayer, President

Building Boom
Garrett County building permits for 2003 totaled over $96.6 million. Just under 63% of the value was in the Deep Creek Lake (DCL) area. There were 178 single family homes totaling 655,570 square feet. Thus the average DCL home, built during 2003 was 3,725 square feet. If you have not noticed the new construction around the lake that’s BIG. And the average cost of the building alone was just over $270,000. For comparison in 1999 the average DCL single family home was 3174 square feet and the declared value (again building alone) was just over $152,000. And note that these figures are based on builder declared value.

Liaison with Property Owner Groups
The POA would like to develop a list of contacts for lake area Home Owner Associations (HOA) and other property owner groups. The list would include a contact person for each group with a telephone number and/or e-mail address to allow quick contact with owner representatives for input on key issues. We request that each HOA or other property owner group either formal or informal, that would like to be included in this communication network contact Bill Nickles by e-mail at bnickles@mail.gcnet.net or 301-387-2506 with the name, telephone number(s) and e-mail address for your designated contact person.

Water & Sewer Update
A study of Deep Creek collection and conveyance is underway. The preliminary engineering report will be completed by the end of February. Target areas for collection and conveyance are Shingle Camp Terrace, Sandy Shores, Stockslager Road and extension, Blakeslee, Turkey Neck, Hazelhurst, Green Glade Cove, Sky Valley, and Thousand Acres. Preliminary cost estimates for these areas of expansion have been received and are being studied and evaluated.

A contract has been awarded for a preliminary engineering report concerning expansaion of the McHenry water system from 100,000 gallons per day (GPD) to 1,000,000 GPD. Cost estimates are expected in March 2004.

Watch the Dispatch information. There is not much of DCL left out of the sewer study!.

Recycle
The Garrett County General Services Department, Division of Solid Waste and Recycling has asked residents to delay disposal of unwanted and obsolete electonic products. They will conduct a free electronics recycling event Saturday April 24, 2004 at the County Fairgrounds in McHenry. Lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium are often present in electronic items, and normal landfill disposal does not properly handle these harmful materials.

Lake Capacity Survey Study
The capacity survey studies are all in and the company in Annapolis, Evironmental Research Management (ERM), was amazed at the over 50% return. ERM noted that the usual response is only 4 or 5%. The Dispatch was disappointed that the reponse was not 100%. There are many residents who are disappointed that they did not have a chance to respond.

ERM is scheduled to make a preliminary report to the Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board (P&RB), and in May a final report will be issued. There will be a public hearing in the summer about the Lake Capacity Study. Watch the Dispatch for time and place.

Policy & Review Board
The Dispatch is pleased to announce that The POA now has three members on the P&RB. They are: POA President Judge Fred Thayer, Ed King, and Barry Wineberg We also note that former County Commissioner Wendell Beitzel has returned to the P&RB.

Who Pays?
The County Commissioners received a letter from Garrett County Chamber of Commerce President Charlie Ross stating that the Chamber did not want the commissioners to accept the offer of the POA to contribute $50,000 for the study of DCL zoning. Since there seems to be a perception of influence, the POA will not donate the previously approved $50,000. It seems somewhat insulting that some would think that influence could be bought. Some have suggested that the Chamber should have matched the POA’s proposed contribution, for equal "influence".

But the good news, as noted in the President’s letter, is that the study is underway. Perhaps our offer got the "ball rolling."

Zoning
A public meeting had been scheduled with the DCL watershed zoning study consultants for Monday Jan. 26. The meeting was canceled due to snow. The Dispatch will attempt to notify members via e-mail of a new date, place, and time. If you have concerns about the present DCL zoning ordinance, particularly if sewers come to the south end of the lake, try to attend. In many sections of the lake, homes are located on one acre lots. Some of these were originally platted as a number of small, say 50 x 100 foot lots. These may still be grandfathered and could possibly be built on should sewers be available. And of course, saw mills, shooting ranges, campgrounds, and a commercial beach are still permitted by special exception in lake residential. Make your concerns known.

Congratulations
Long time POA board member and past President, Roger Titus, recently won US Senate confirmation as Judge of the Federal District Court of Maryland for the Southern Division. Congratulations Roger.

Membership

POA membership for 2003 totals 1306, including 36 who have already paid through 2004. Our mailing list totals 4,910, and we note that 278 of you claim Garrett County as your primary residence.

This edition of the Distatch will be sent to all 4,910 of you, but the remainder of the 2004 issues will go only to dues paying members. If you are new to our mailings, you may wish to view past issues of the Dispatch at www.deepcreeklakepoa.com.

Your 2004 POA dues notice has been included in this issue along with a return envelope. To determine if you are one of the 36 who have already paid for 2004, just check the mailing label on this (or any issue) of the Dispatch. The number after your name is the last year for which you paid POA dues.

Year ‘Round at DCL
As noted above POA has 278 full time Garrett County residents, although some live in town, but own lake property. When we started keeping this statistic there were just over 200. This is a national trend, as discussed in an USA Today article this fall. USA Today reported that in 1990 the majority of homes built in resort areas were seasonal, while today seasonal properties are in the minority. More year- round residents mean more seasonal shops and restaurants will stay open all year, and those that will be open will have a better cash flow during the off months.

The summer cabins of the old days at DCL are fast disappearing. Although the number of year-round residents is increasing, we have noted that others have left due to lake noise, crowding, and nearby mini-hotels. We suspect that a year-round family is worth about the same (or more?) to the local economy than ten weeks of mini-hotel rentals. Of course different businesses gain or loose.

Winter Activities

In times past, residents wondered what to do for entertainment during winter months. Recently this has not been a problem.

Our Town Theatre offers a comedy "Romance in D" Feb. 12, 13 & 14 and 19, 20 & 21. They also have programs for children most Saturdays. They will also present a musical "The Spitfire Grill" later in March. For those that enjoy country and folk music, the Purple Fiddle Coffeehouse in Thomas WV offers different programs every Friday night. For futher ideas, visit the Garrett County Arts Council web site www.garrettarts.com and click on calendar.

GLAF starts their season in April, and the Garrett County Concert Band is preparing for another cabaret concert at the Wisp on April 17.

PURPA
Take a look at your electric bill from Allegheny Power. You will find a charge for PURPA, which stands for Public Utility Regulatory Performance Act, a legacy of the energy crunch in the 1970's and the Carter administration. Some years ago Applied Energy Systems built a new coal fired generating plant near Cumberland Maryland. Allegheny Power fought construction of this plant because they: (1) had enough generating capacity to meet the needs of their customers, and (2) under the PURPA legislation customers would pay for the additional cost of electricity from the new plant. Electricity from the new plant, although it is a modern efficient plant, costs more because it is new and faces large depreciation charges and did not initially have long term contacts for coal. The charge on your editors bill is over 10% of the total. Your government is helping you. We thought you might like to know.

Wind Power
The Federal energy bill passed both the House and Senate. The bills are now having their differences worked out in conference. If the production tax credits remain, it is likely that construction in Allegany County by U.S. Wind Force and in Garrett County by Wind Clipper will begin in the spring.