FAQs

• Single family homes
• Townhomes
• Age restricted Senior Independent Living cottages
• Age restricted Senior Independent Living duplexes

Annexed into the Town, and subject to further review and approval, the commercial plan for Cloverly is:

• Age restricted Senior Independent Living suites;
• Age restricted Senior Assisted Living suites;
• Age restricted Senior Assisted Living Memory Care suites;
• Co-housing units in two buildings;
• A “learning building” for a local child day care provider (capacity 150 children) with a full playground; additional classroom / tutoring rooms; and group exercise rooms;
• A new headquarters building for SEMS;
• An additional equipment location for Smithsburg Community Volunteer Fire Department (discussions ongoing);
• A neighborhood community center, with meeting hall / events function area, a common work center, and the community maintenance department functions;
• A food service, dining, hospitality / restaurant space for the community.

Not true. Cloverly has not planned and doesn’t want large retail / commercial use functions; the economic market isn’t right for such in Smithsburg now as vacancies already exist in commercial buildings in the area.

• Storm water management facilities and conservation areas to protect the Chesapeake Bay, including the community “Vegetable Victory Gardens” – 3.8 acres est.
• Maryland Forest Conservation Areas, protecting trees and steep slopes and including 1.2 miles of mulched running trails and pathways that wander through the community – 8.3 acres est.
• The Town roads and 1.7 miles of sidewalks with street trees and lamp posts – 6.5 acres est.
• Playground, dog park, and open spaces – 1.2 acres est.
• Outdoor amphitheater for summer concerts and citizen’s theater.

• We seek to create safe, indoor spaces suitable for students to receive after school tutoring, to work quietly in homework study areas, and to participate in subject immersion groups.
• We have observed at other Senior Living communities the phenomena of student study groups working in casual and informal spaces and led by a retired person who is a subject matter expert in a particular academic subject. It ends up as a plus for both the Senior residents and the students.
• And we regularly found that the students sometimes performed after school volunteer service duty / credits working with Seniors in the community or found part time employment in food service and hospitality.

The Washington County Public School (WCPS) is the official source for information regarding school capacity and school enrollment in Washington County and specifically at the Smithsburg Schools.

Under Maryland Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO), the Smithsburg Planning Commission will work with WCPS regarding prospective enrollment resultant from new homes and new children at Cloverly. This is an established and normal process. If Annexation is overturned, the Washington County Planning Commission will engage in the same process instead.

Also, please realize that regardless of what jurisdiction – in the Town as Annexed or in the County if overturned – Cloverly is created in, it will still be a few years before new students as new residents of Cloverly would enter the Smithsburg Schools. Current information is as follows:

Smithsburg Elementary

• State Rated Capacity: 419 (as of 5/1/09)
• Enrollment: 360 (as of 8/7/17)
• Percentage = 86% of capacity
• http://wcpsmd.com/schools/elementary-schools/smithsburg-elementary

Smithsburg Middle School

• State Rated Capacity: 829 (As of 5/1/09)
• Enrollment: 639 (As of 8/7/17)
• Percentage = 77% of capacity
• http://wcpsmd.com/schools/middle-schools/smithsburg-middle/about

Smithsburg High School

• State Rated Capacity: 829
• Enrollment: 763 (11/18/15)
• Percentage = 92% of capacity
• http://wcpsmd.com/schools/high-schools/smithsburg-high/about

• Maryland Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) requires that when a new community is proposed, a study of the potential impact upon nearby roads be conducted and that mitigating improvements (lane widening, traffic signals, crosswalks, etc.) be proposed.
• Maryland State Highway Administration has already reviewed the scope of this study and they required the inclusion of additional intersections on MD 64 and MD 77 distant from Cloverly.
• In addition, the Memorandum of Understanding already signed with the Town directly involves the Smithsburg Planning Commission in the review of this study and the agreement upon the potential mitigation strategies.
• The actual study and traffic counts will begin shortly, at Cloverly’s expense.
• Cloverly pays a proportional share for necessary traffic improvement changes.