Department of Parks & Recreation: Marley Run Recreation Area Buffer Amendment Resolution
Calvert County Board of County Commissioners · 5021-15 ·
Old Business
What the bill says
On the agenda for Board of County Commissioners — 2026-04-28 — 2026-04-28. Agenda section: OLD BUSINESS
Background
Marley Run Recreation Area, located at 1455 Mairfield Lane in Huntingtown with frontage along Cox Rd., is a 13.83 -acre park featuring three baseball /softball fields. The recreation area was originally established under Resolution No. 51 -89, which designated the surrounding property as a Transfer Zone and included several conditions, including condition nine establishing a 100-foot no-cut, no-clear buffer along Cox Rd. with required replanting in cleared areas. Resolution 03-92 subsequently modified several of these conditions, including condition eight 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 Americans with Disabilities Act (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 pr oject also includes re-grading the steep berm between the parking lot and Cox R d. to address ongoing maintenance challenges.
To support these improvements, staff recommends amending condition nine of Resolution 03-92 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 R d. 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 Feb. 18, 2026, work session and a public hearing was held by the Board of County Commissioners on April 14, 2026 on the matter. No comments were received and the public record remained open for 10 days following the hearing.
Coordination
Office of the County Attorney Department of Finance & Budget Department of 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. The available balance for the Marley Run Recreation Area Capital Improvement Plan (CIP -000136) is $1,000,195. An additional $2.5 million was requested for fiscal year 2027 CIP funding, which is expected to cover construction costs.
Conclusion/Recommendation (staff-reported)
The Department of Parks and Recreation requests that the Board of County Commissioners close the record. Additionally, the board is asked to approve, adopt, and enact a resolution approving the Marley Run Recreation Area buffer amendment.
Reported by the sponsoring department — Department of Parks & Recreation · Bob Branham, Director · 2026-04-28 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.