Perry Hall Councilman Named to State Commission

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Gov. Larry Hogan has appointed a Perry Hall lawmaker to a state commission which protects the Chesapeake Bay.

“I am honored to have been nominated to this important commission,” Baltimore County Councilman David Marks said of his nomination to the Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays.

The commission reviews state projects that relate to land use within 1,000 feet of the Chesapeake Bay.

It also oversees major development on private or locally owned lands that may impact space within 1,000 feet of the bay—the space that encompasses the “critical area.”

The 29-member commission also oversees the Critical Area Program that is in place in each jurisdiction, reviewing any changes to maps, regulations and ordinances.

The mission of protecting the bay aligns with the land use policies Marks has put into place in Baltimore County, where he was elected in 2011.

His work to preserve open space has resulted in five new parks, and his concern about overdevelopment has led to the down-zoning of 417 acres in Baltimore County, according to Marks.

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“The Chesapeake Bay is a Maryland treasure and those of us in government should look to safeguard and improve its tributaries,” Marks said.

The term to serve on the commission is four years.

Ribbon-cutting at Gough Park in Perry Hall on Oct. 31, 2014. Photo Credit: Baltimore County Government.