Agreement Executed For D.R. Horton Housing Project

Allegany County has received the final fully executed land development agreement from D.R. Horton for Village Crossing at Campobello, moving the redevelopment of the former Allegany High School property into its next phase.

The agreement provides for D.R. Horton to acquire 65 residential lots in phases and construct market-rate attached and detached homes. The anticipated project includes a minimum of 44 attached homes and 21 detached homes, with estimated home prices ranging from approximately $180,000 to under $300,000 depending on the final product mix.

The agreement has been considered publicly at several County Commissioner meetings as revisions were made, deadlines were reestablished, and the document progressed through D.R. Horton’s internal approval process. As a national builder, D.R. Horton’s review included approvals at both the regional and corporate levels. The County recently received the regional signatures, followed this week by the final corporate signatures needed to complete the agreement.

“This has been a deliberate and public process, and we are pleased to now have the fully executed agreement in hand,” said Jeff Barclay, Director of Economic & Community Development. “Village Crossing represents an important opportunity to return this property to productive use, expand local housing options, and create a new neighborhood that contributes to the community for years to come.”

County work to complete Sedgwick Street and the stormwater facilities is expected to resume by the end of September, with fall planting anticipated in early October. County and City staff expect to meet with D.R. Horton construction superintendents around October 1. If closing conditions are met, the first lot closing could occur in October.

D.R. Horton is able to acquire lots in 6 separate groups. The first planned closing should be for 11 lots and permits additional lots to be purchased early. After each lot transfer, D.R. Horton has 90 days to apply for building permits. The builder estimates that an individual home may be constructed in approximately 90 days under favorable conditions; however, the agreement allows up to nine months after permit issuance for substantial completion, subject to approved extensions and defined delays.

At full build-out, the project is estimated to have an assessed value of approximately $14.51 million. Based on current tax rates, that could generate an estimated $153,733 annually for the City of Cumberland and $119,678 annually for Allegany County. Actual assessments, tax revenue, home prices, and the final product mix will depend on future conditions and approvals.

As with any construction project, timelines remain estimates. Closing conditions, local permitting and inspections, contractor schedules, weather, and unforeseen site conditions may affect the pace of work.

The County will continue to provide updates as work progresses.