Department of Parks & Recreation: Marley Run Recreation Area Resolution Amendment - Buffer
Calvert County Board of County Commissioners · 5013-1 ·
Public Hearing
What the bill says
On the agenda for Board of County Commissioners — 2026-04-14 — 2026-04-14. Agenda section: PUBLIC HEARING
Background
Marley Run Recreation Area, located at 1455 Mairfield Lane in Huntingtown with frontage along Cox Road, is a 13.83-acre park featuring three baseball/softball fields. The recreation area was originally established under Resolution No. 51 -89, which designat ed the surrounding property as a Transfer Zone and included several conditions, including Condition 9 establishing a 100 -foot no-cut, no-clear buffer along Cox Road with required replanting in cleared areas. Resolution No. 3-92 subsequently modified several of these conditions, including Condition 8 requiring the construction and conveyance to Calvert County of a multipurpose ball field. Today, the facility is managed by the Department of Parks & Recreation and continues to serve the community as an active recreation site.
Discussion
After nearly three decades of continuous use, Marley Run Recreation Area requires significant upgrades to ensure safety, functionality, and ADA compliance. Design work shows that expanding and formalizing the existing gravel parking area , which already encroaches into the buffer, as well as completing the necessary grading and stormwater improvements, will require additional disturbance within the 100-foot buffer. The project also includes re-grading the steep berm between the parking lot and Cox Road to address ongoing maintenance challenges.
To support these improvements, staff recommend s amending Condition 9 of Resolution No. 3-92 by removing the 100 -foot no -cut, no -clear buffer while maintaining the existing 35 -foot setback. This revision would provide the needed space for site work while preserving vegetative frontage along Cox Road. Approval should also allow grading and replanting within the reduced setback to complete necessary construction and stabilization.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended this adjustment at its February 18, 2026, work session and forwarded the amendment for Board consideration at a public hearing.
Coordination
County Attorney Finance & Budget Planning & Zoning
Extracted from the source document (public record).
Documents
What analysts say
No independent (CBO/CRS-style) analysis exists for county measures. The nearest analog is the sponsoring department's own assessment, from its staff memo — self-reported, not independent:
Fiscal Impact (staff-reported)
Design services were procured from COA Barrett for $99,805.00 The free balance of Marley Run Rec Area CIP-000136 is currently $1,000,195 and an additional $2,500,000 was requested in FY27 CIP funding. This is projected to cover construction costs.
Conclusion/Recommendation (staff-reported)
The Department of Parks & Recreation requests that the Board of County Commissioners conduct a public hearing on the proposed amendments to Resolution No. 3-92. In accordance
with Local Government Article § 9 -105, any action by the Board must be deferred until at least 10 days after the hearing.
Reported by the sponsoring department — Department of Parks & Recreation · Robert Branham, Director · 2025-04-09 in its own memo, not an independent estimate. Source memo.
What politicians say
No linked claims or utterances yet — no one on record has cited this measure to justify a public argument.