The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce and Garrett County Commissioners recently presented the annual State of the County 2018, providing an in-depth look at current, future, and past goals and projects for the county. Commissioners Paul Edwards, Jim Hinebaugh, and Larry Tichnell each addressed the room with an update on their respective areas of focus.
One of the biggest goals for the county is to increase the workforce for Garrett County. Some steps that the commissioners have taken help to not only bring people into Garrett County but to help them afford to live in Garrett County. With the assistance of local banks, the Garrett County Government was able to assist 140+ families with down payments for homes. Many younger homeowners, especially those who are carrying student loan debt or have children, do not have the financial means to afford the down payment even though they can afford the monthly payment. They’re also working on programs with Community Action to provide market rate rentals. Affordable housing will continue to be one of the main priorities for the coming years.
Another priority for the county is the continued expansion of public water and sewer. In addition to installing new water and sewer systems, they’re also focused on repairing and maintaining aging systems, like those in Loch Lynn and Mountain Lake Park. The Hoyes Run Water System plan has also moved to the bidding stage and work can begin for that soon. This project will bring public water to lots and developments on top of Marsh Mountain and Wisp Resort that currently do not have sufficient water taps to develop and subdivide. It will also provide extra water support for McHenry as a whole. Connecting the Thayerville and McHenry water systems is another goal for the county, which will provide McHenry with additional water if needed.
Other infrastructure projects on the radar for the county include building spec buildings in both the McHenry and Keyser Ridge Business Parks. The county was able to secure state funding from the Maryland Department of Commerce to complete these building projects that will offer space for businesses to move to Garrett County. They did mention that there is not a comparable business park on the Southern end of the county, which they hope to rectify in the future to keep growth balanced across the county. Expanding broadband Internet was also an issue that is currently being addressed throughout the county. The county’s support will aide local providers, like Neubeam, Comcast, and Procom, in their expansions. Their goal is to offer broadband Internet services to every part of the county.
Future infrastructure projects that will affect the Deep Creek Lake area include the realignment of Glendale Road and replacing the Swallow Falls Road Bridge. The Glendale Road project will straighten the beginning of Glendale Road (at Rt. 219), taking out the several small curves between Rt. 219 and Silver Tree Lane. This project will most likely happen in the next year or so. The replacement of the single lane Swallow Falls Road Bridge is not projected to happen until 2020.
The commissioners and the county will continue to support and focus on the Garrett County education system and implementing classes for high school and college students to prepare them for the workforce. With the help of state funding, Garrett College was able to build two new buildings on their campus. They also offer GED, extended learning, and CTE classes for the public.
Overall, the outlook for Garrett County was very positive! Our commissioners, delegates, and other representatives have been hard at work to secure state funding and giving Garrett County a voice at the state level. Tourism numbers continue to climb for Garrett County and unemployment rates continue to decline.
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