On Monday, the Clarksburg community got to see the development plans for the Comsat campus.  The architect showed a slide show presentation of the campus turning into a mixed use development, including  30 single-family homes, 160 townhomes, apartments, 180,000 square feet of retail space and 1.5 million square feet of office space.  Currently, the campus is zoned industrial.  The new plan will preserve the four main wings of the current building, as well as, the two spines, interior courtyard and portico.  The development will be in six phases over a 10 year period, beginning with the primarily residential north end of the property. To get more information on this small town turning into a new thriving community contact me at ibi@myrealtyteam.com. 06/20/2007

A new addition will be coming to our Clarksburg, Maryland home town - the Avalon School. Established in 2003, The Avalon School brings the spirit of adventure and friendship to boys in grades three through twelve in an independent day school featuring a challenging liberal arts curriculum.  The school has purchased 10+ acres on Frederick Road, 3 miles north of Father Hurley Blvd.  They will be breaking ground any day and hope to open their doore in September of 2008.  They will have a five building campus that will include an Administration Building, Upper and Middle School, Lower School, Dining Hall, and Athletic Complex.  To get more information about the school you can log on to http://www.avalonschools.org/index.html. 06/19/2007

On Saturday, June 30, 2007 there will be a Household Hazardous Waste 1 Day Collection Event at the Westland Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland at 5511 Massachusettes Avenue. The collection event operates from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and they will accept the following items:Insecticides (Chlordane, DDT, Malathion, Sevin, Arsenic, etc.) Herbicides Other pesticides (used for control of rodents, fungi, snails, mites, etc.) Fertilizers with herbicides Paint thinners and solvents Swimming pool chemicals Unwanted fuels Mercury containing items, i.e. thermostats and thermometers Used motor oil, most other oils, hydraulic fluids, kerosene (5 gallon limit) Photographic chemicals Brake fluid and antifreeze (5 gallon limit) Car batteries Oil-based paints (Latex paints are not hazardous waste) Batt... 06/16/2007

The Montgomery County Police Department has set up an anonymous Gang Tip Hotline so the public can help to identify illegal gang activity.  This hotline can be reached by dialing 240-773-GANG (4264) and it is available 24/7.  More information on prevention and intervention can be found at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police under "Divisions/Stations" and then by clicking on "Station Units" and then "Gang Coordinator". 06/16/2007

The Clarksburg Civic Association re-elected officers (all positions unopposed) for a second year.  The association will not meet during the summer, however, the planning committee will continue to meet monthly.  The next meeting is scheduled for this coming Monday at the Clarksburg ombudsman's office on Stringtown Road in the Highlands.  The plans for reuse of the Comsat campus and the Tapestry development are both on the agenda. 06/16/2007

Our "small" community is growing in leaps and bounds!  Here is a brief synopsis of the plans and what we all have to look forward to: when you turn off of MD 355 into the historic core of Clarksburg toward the new Town Center, you will pass the historic Horace Willson house and the Clarksburg Grille and Grocery. The small-town environment will immediately be apparent as a drive down Clarksburg Square Road leads past small shops and businesses to the Library and town plaza, where civic gathering places serve as the heart of the Town Square.  The new library, a 20,000 square-foot building, will sit at one end of the town plaza, nestled amongst trees with seating for reading or enjoying the adjacent shops and cafes. A fountain with a seating wall will anchor the opposite end of the plaza. ... 06/15/2007

The May 2007 statistics have just been released from MRIS, our local Realtor database, and I wanted to pass this info along.A total of 41 new listings were added during May in zip code 20871, and there were 12 homes sold.The median price of homes sold dropped 13.02 percent compared to May of 2006 and the average days on the market increased 85.31 percent to 195 days.Obviously, the market has cooled down substantially and it is an excellent time for buyers to be active.    06/13/2007

Another of our Clarksburg community parks is Little Bennett Regional Park at 23701 Frederick Road.  This is the largest park in Montgomery County and offers visitors quality wooded campsites and miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails throughout 3,600 acres of forests and meadows. With more than 20 miles of trails to explore, 91 wooded campsites from which to choose, and a variety of weekend activities available for all age groups and interests, Little Bennett Regional Park is a perfect vacation spot.  The park is currently being renovated and will be a state of the art park.  To get detailed information on the development visit http://www.clarksburgplanning.org/. 06/11/2007

Black Hill Regional Park is located on Lake Ridge Drive in Montgomery County, Maryland.  The 1,843 acre park hosts a variety of special events and programs including Twilight Concerts, Summer Stage, canoe and kayak classes and other special events and classes scheduled throughout the year.  They have boating, fishing, hiking trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds, conservation areas, a dog park and a visitor's center overlooking scenic Little Seneca Lake.  Check out this website to get more information: http://www.mc-mncppc.org/parks/facilities/regional_parks/blackhill/index.shtm   06/11/2007

Every day I get questions regarding the new roads and traffic flow here in our community Clarksburg, Maryland.  So, I thought I would post a website with a detailed map.  http://permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov/clarksburg/ClarksburgRoadwayStatus.pdfAlso, the following gives the current timeline for the construction. http://permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov/clarksburg/RoadtimelineREVISEDdpwt.xlsHopefully this will help everyone to understand and it also gives you infromation on the different projects being built.  If you ever need any more info on homes, new or resale, lots or just general questions, feel free to contact me. 06/08/2007

Clarksburg High School held the final award ceremony for its inaugural year.  This ceremony was to honor the spring athletes.  Mr. Koutsos the principle spoke of the dedication of the students, the staff and the community at large.  He thanked all of them for their commitment to the school.  It was also announced that the students involved in sports at CHS had a GPA of 3.23!  Way to go Coyotes!!  Congratulations to all of the students who won the team awards and to all the athletes who earned their letter.  We are all looking forward to the great years to come. 06/07/2007

Well, it has been a great first year for Clarksburg High School.  The school itself is absolutely beautiful, inside and out.  And, there is still so much to look forward to with the new lights coming in for our fall sports next school year.  Our Coyotes have done a great job, in the classrooms, on the stages and on the fields.  But, there is still another important task - finals!  So here is the rundown of the exam schedule:June 7 Thursday Review Day June 8 Friday Period 1 & 2 Exams - 7:25 - 9:25 a.m.and 9:55 -11:55 a.m. June 11 Monday Period 3 & 4 Exams- 7:25 - 9:25 a.m.and 9:55 -11:55 a.m. June 12 Tuesday Period 5 & 6 Exams- 7:25 - 9:25 a.m.and 9:55 -11:55 a.m. June 13 Wednesday Period 7 Exam - 7:25 - 9:25 a.m & make-upsJune 14 Make ups continue by appointment - Last day of school for... 06/06/2007

Here's a quick update on the residential real estate market in Clarksburg.The information comes directly from MRIS, which is the local Realtor database for Montgomery County, MD.Last month 8 homes sold in Clarksburg, compared to 13 sales in April of 2006.  Please keep in mind that these numbers do not include some new home sales by builders that are not reported in the Realtor database.  The average time on the market was 58 days, compared to 114 days last year, and the median price of homes sold was down 4.46 percent compared to last year.The statistics for May 2007 will be released in a few days and I'll be sure to post a more detailed update as soon as these are available.   06/05/2007