How Far Is Too Far?

To serve this population, Carnock proposes building a 23-acre equestrian center, a hiking trail and a shopping center to complement 2,280 single-family homes, 424 townhouses, 912 condominiums and 684 apartments.

He envisions a street with condos above retail shops, "similar to Montgomery County's Kentlands," in the new urbanist style but far away from any existing urb.

Carnock said his company has been involved in developing 1,700 lots in 26 projects. He has built residential subdivisions in Prince George's County and is in the second phase of a 150,000-square-foot commercial project in Stafford County.

Here in the mountains, Carnock is appealing to Allegany County's deep desire for economic growth after decades of high unemployment, job loss and population decline. He promises 20 years of construction with local contractors providing much of the labor. He promises a development that would boost the county's sagging population by 10 percent and, Carnock said, increase its tax base as well.

He hopes to break ground next summer, starting with detached single-family houses and "patio homes" for the "active elderly."

Carnock, a University of Maryland MBA, plans to name streets after members of the Terps' 2002 championship basketball team: Dixon Drive, Williams Way, Blake Court. Given the hurdles and his 20-year time frame, however, there will be no fast break. Terrapin Run could develop at a turtle's pace.

Carnock said it's too early to say how much Terrapin Run units will cost, but sale prices will be guided by "affordability, availability and lifestyle." Allegany County's median home prices are the lowest in Maryland -- $77,138 for first-time buyers and $90,750 for others in April this year. That compares with $344,150 and $405,000 then in Montgomery County, and $255,000 and $300,000 in Frederick County.

Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan said there are already people commuting to Rockville from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. His brother lives in Boonsboro in Washington County and makes the daily commute to and from his job in Gaithersburg.

Allegany County is a bit far for a regular commute to Montgomery County, though, Duncan said. "If you're working in Frederick, I can see going" to Allegany to live, he said. Nonetheless, he added, it would be better to add jobs in Allegany than to dump more traffic onto already congested roads linking Western Maryland with the rest of the state.

Carnock said he expects to attract the largest number of buyers from Frederick County. "Frederick is becoming a large employment center as firms move north from Rockville and the high-priced Washington suburbs," according to his brochure. "Employees of these firms are finding it more difficult and more expensive to find housing in Frederick or Washington counties."

Allegany County's business and political leaders were quick to back the project. After decades of disappointment -- the completion of the National Freeway and the Rocky Gap Resort and Conference Center both seemed to offer economic salvation for the depressed region, but failed to deliver -- Terrapin Run seemed like the answer to an Appalachian prayer.

"People commuting from the Washington, D.C., area want planned communities like this," Commissioner Barbara Roque told the Cumberland Times-News. "The more people we bring into the county, the more tax base we have to work with."