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Derwood Steadies on Cusp of Change
"We liked that it was at least 30 years old and somewhat settled," says Linda Kennedy, who lives in Derwood with her husband Michael.
(By Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)
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Their house would be in the way of a new road, and he does not want to move. On their 1 3/4 acres, they grow tomatoes, beans, potatoes and corn. Kosian uses a ride-on mower to cut his grass. They raised their children there and now enjoy spending time with grandchildren who live nearby.
"You could look all over Montgomery County, and you'd never find a place like this," Kosian said. "It's just nice and peaceful. You don't get a lot of traffic. We're happy with the neighborhood and the neighbors. We don't want to go."
Local concern also is heated over plans for a mixed-use condominium development at the Shady Grove Metro station, as part of the area's "smart growth" planning goal. Residents are concerned about the burden that at least 6,000 more people may have on the local infrastructure.
Before Metro, Derwood was a hamlet of fewer than 20 houses centered around the B&O Railroad station, a flour mill, the post office and a couple of stores.
Early families who settled in Derwood are familiar Montgomery County names: the Magruders, the Crabbs, the Muncasters, the Mobleys. Most of the historic buildings or markers have vanished, making way for industrial parks and housing developments. Early property holders today are commemorated in the names of the area's roads.
Possibly because Derwood has no government of its own, there are no community-wide Fourth of July parades or festivals, although the section did celebrate its centennial "Derwood Day" in 1986. The neighborhood receives services directly from Montgomery County or from the estimated 19 homeowner associations.
Neighborhood activity centers around the schools -- parents are especially active at Candlewood Elementary -- or within the various subdivisions, which each have their own character. There are book clubs and social groups, and people walking dogs, pushing strollers, or just running or walking with friends on the paths around the parks.
Derwood's low-key nature also is reflected in its real estate prices. An average single-family house in Derwood costs from $500,000 to about $650, 000, or about $200,000 less and on a larger lot than a comparable home in North Potomac, which is five to 10 minutes away, according to Burt Lancaster of Re/Max Realty, who has sold homes in Derwood for 31 years.
But prices have shot up in recent years, as they have throughout the region. A colonial with a two-car garage that sold four years ago for $335,000 would list for about $600,000 today, according to Lancaster.
Still, he said, "it's one of the best buys in the county, in my opinion."
