2008 Garrett County Comprehensive Plan Adopted October 7, 2008 Acknowledgements The Garrett County Planning Commission expresses its appreciation to the many people, agencies and organizations that provided information, ideas and input for this plan. Garrett County Commissioners Dennis G. Glotfelty, Chairman Ernest J. Gregg Frederick A. Holliday R. Lamont Pagenhardt, County Administrator Garrett County Planning Commission Troy Ellington, Chairman Ruth Beitzel George E. Brady Tony Doerr Gary Fratz Joe McRobie Jeff Messenger Tim Schwinabart Frederick Holliday, Ex Officio Garrett County Planning and Land Development Office John Nelson, Director Planning Staff Bill DeVore Chad Fike Deborah Carpenter Louise Weimer Contributing Agencies Steve Sherrard, Jim Hinebaugh, Director, Linda Lindsey, Director, Garrett County Health Garrett County Economic Department of Public Utilities Department Development Gary Mullich, Director, General Cheryl DeBerry, Duane Yoder, Community Action Services Agricultural Specialist, Garrett Committee, Inc. County Economic Development Jay Moyer, General Brad Frantz, Director, Carolyn Mathews, Superintendent, County Roads Department of Public Safety and Maryland Department of Natural Department Emergency Management Resources Consultant Team Environmental Resources Management, Annapolis Whitman Requardt & Associates, Baltimore Special thanks to Stephanie Martins at the Maryland Department of Planning The preparation of this report was financed through local Garrett County revenue funds and in part through grants from the Appalachian regional Commission, administered by the Maryland Department of Planning. 2008 Garrett County Comprehensive Plan Contents 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Legal Requirements......................................................................................................................................1-1 1.2 The Plan’s Relationship with the Towns in Garrett County ...........................................................................1-1 1.3 Plan Preparation ...........................................................................................................................................1-2 1.4 Note on Plan Content and Appendix.............................................................................................................1-2 2. Background .......................................................................................................................................2-1 2.1 Location, Regional Setting, Government ......................................................................................................2-1 2.2 History...........................................................................................................................................................2-1 2.3 Planning History............................................................................................................................................2-1 2.4 Related Plans and Documents .....................................................................................................................2-3 2.5 Population and Housing, Existing and Projected ..........................................................................................2-4 2.6 Commercial and Industrial ............................................................................................................................2.8 3. Land Use ...........................................................................................................................................3-1 3.1 Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................................................3-1 3.2 Land Use and Development Trends .............................................................................................................3-1 3.3 Projected Growth and Land Use Needs........................................................................................................3-8 3.4 Land Use Categories ..................................................................................................................................3-11 3.5 Watershed Land Use Plans ........................................................................................................................3-19 3.6 Policies and Actions....................................................................................................................................3-39 4. Deep Creek Lake Influence Area Master Plan..................................................................................4-1 4.1 Influence Area...............................................................................................................................................4-1 4.2 A Vision Statement for the Deep Creek Lake Influence Area .......................................................................4-3 4.3 Land Use and Development Trends .............................................................................................................4-3 4.4 Impacts of Growth.........................................................................................................................................4-7 4.5 Proposed Land Use Plan............................................................................................................................4-13 4.6 Transportation.............................................................................................................................................4-16 4.7 Water Resources ........................................................................................................................................4-21 4.8 Sensitive Areas and Development Character .............................................................................................4-23 4.9 Community Facilities...................................................................................................................................4-27 4.10 Improvement Plans for Centers ..................................................................................................................4-30 4.11 Organization and Management...................................................................................................................4-36 4.12 Policies and Actions....................................................................................................................................4-37 5. Water Resources Element.................................................................................................................5-1 5.1 Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................................................5-1 5.2 Drinking Water Assessment..........................................................................................................................5-2 5.3 Wastewater Assessment ............................................................................................................................5-13 5.4 Programmatic Assessment of Nonpoint Source Policies ............................................................................5-26 5.5 Total Nutrient Loads and Assimilative Capacity..........................................................................................5-27 5.6 Policies and Actions....................................................................................................................................5-31 6. Transportation Element .....................................................................................................................6-1 6.1 Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................................................6-1 6.2 Roads ...........................................................................................................................................................6-2 6.3 Bicycle Facilities .........................................................................................................................................6-12 i 2008 Garrett County Comprehensive Plan 6.4 Pedestrian Facilities....................................................................................................................................6-13 6.5 Transit.........................................................................................................................................................6-14 6.6 Other Transportation...................................................................................................................................6-15 6.7 Policies and Actions....................................................................................................................................6-17 7. Sensitive Areas..................................................................................................................................7-1 7.1 Goals and Objectives....................................................................................................................................7-1 7.2 Description of Sensitive Areas......................................................................................................................7-2 7.3 Discussion of Issues ...................................................................................................................................7-10