Developer seeking restaurateur to bring fine dining to Urbana

The Georgian-style manor, built by James Worthington in 1789, is situated on 25 acres and is still in pristine condition, Furman said.

He said he and his wife purchase the house about a year ago.

Furman plans to build a shell for a 2,500-square-foot commercial kitchen, and he is looking for a restaurateur to pay for kitchen equipment inside the building.

The Granville Inn is located at 10240 Fingerboard Road in Ijamsville, near the Whiskey Creek Golf Course. Furman said that it would be the only fine dining restaurant in Urbana when it opens, and he has targeted its opening for the fourth quarter of 2009.

He hopes the inn could host corporate meetings, weddings or other celebrations, while at the same time being a place for intimate, candlelit dinners for two.

For further information, Ron Furman can be reached at 301-948-7000.

Senior housing may takeseveral years

Reader Ray Myers called The Gazette last week asking about the availability of housing for those 55 and older in the Villages of Urbana.

Paul Coleman, a project manager with Natelli Communities, the developer of the Villages of Urbana, said that it would likely be at least two years before any senior housing is available in that development.

Natelli Communities has not contracted a builder or decided on a type of housing product yet to offer to seniors, but he projected that the company may begin marketing homes to that age group within a year. He said it would be another year after than before homes would be constructed.

Another development is in the works for southern Frederick County that could cater to seniors.

The Monrovia Town Center is a project set for construction near the intersections of Md. Route 75 and Md. Route 80, and could have up to 1,608 homes for seniors, according to Mike Wilkins, a Frederick County planner.

Before the project can move forward, however, improvements to water and sewer service, and a possible relocation of Routes 75 and 80 may need to be complete, he said in an e-mail to The Gazette.

The project also must get approval under Frederick County’s Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, which requires developers to ensure adequate roads, schools and other infrastructure affected by development exists before new homes are built.

The Gazette’s Construction Connection column addresses the community’s questions and concerns regarding growth and development in southeastern Frederick County. The column is published twice each month in the New Market⁄Urbana edition.

If you have questions about growth that you want to see addressed in The Gazette, please call New Market⁄Urbana reporter Chris Brown at 301-846-2132, or e-mail him at chbrown@gazette.net.