Fifth District County Council member David Marks said this week that he'll ask the county to review the zoning on 80 acres in the Cromwood-Coventry area through the countywide Comprehensive Zoning Map Process.

Marks made the announcement in front of 70 residents who showed up for the Thursday, Nov. 17, meeting of the Cromwood-Coventry Community Association to discuss their ongoing opposition to Craftsmen Developers' plan to build 34 single family houses on 14 acres of fields and trees adjacent to the neighborhood.

The 80 acres that Marks hopes to review surround the 14-acre site at the eastern end of Rushley Road, but they do not include it.

In effect, Marks said he has little sway to stop Craftsmen's proposal, called Cromwell Ridge, but wants to give residents a chance to stop further development on adjacent tracts, if they choose to do so.

Marks said, "the zoning is in place to allow (the Craftsmen) development to proceed."

The executive branch of county government has the power of review over it, he said. As a councilman, he has no power to approve or disapprove the project because it complies with existing zoning. Simply put, he said, it's too late.

"Would I prefer open space? Absolutely. It's the logical location for a regional park," Marks said. "But in reality, the county doesn't have the money, and the state has eliminated open-space funding."

The county's zoning classifications dictate office, business, residential or other uses. Under residential designations, some classifications allow one house per acre, others 3.5 houses per acre or even 16 houses per acre.

Those who want a different use for a property can petition for a zoning change through the Comprehensive Zoning Map Process, which takes place every four years.

The 2012 process, during which the 80 acres will be reviewed, is under way and will conclude next fall.

The 80 acres includes properties of most of who those who attended the meeting —perhaps prompting Rushley Road resident Paul Frock to ask, "Are you going to do this to us or for us?"

But Marks said that by raising the acreage as a CZMP issue, Cromwood Coventry residents will have nearly nine months to choose a zoning classification they want for those properties, enabling them to choose what the properties can look like in the future.

The County Council has the last say on CZMP issues.

Marks said he is proposing the lowest residential use, one house per acre, for two specific tracts within the 80 acres: a Baltimore City-owned watershed property and Cromwell Station.

But residents of the remaining acreage will be presented with a dilemma. "Down-zoning" a property — for instance, to allow only one house per acre when three were previously allowed — decreases its development potential, and therefor its value.

However, if homeowners as a group all down-zone their properties, it can add to their value because it preserves the character of a community.

"It prevents more developers from coming in and ruining our neighborhood," said Mountain Road resident Anne-Marie Anderson.

Marks said he isn't necessarily suggesting down-zoning.

"I'm not going to act capriciously," he said, "but I think I can be most helpful by lowering development potential," he said. "The alternative, if I don't raise the issue, is a developer may come in with a plan."

Marks also told residents that he will give "serious consideration" to approving an 1860s farm house that overlooks the Craftsmen site for the county's Landmarks Preservation List. That would keep that 4-acre property from being developed.

"It was a productive meeting," said association treasurer Anne Collier. "Marks explained what he could and could not do, and what he wanted to do for the future of our community. I think 98 percent of the people were pleased."

Meanwhile, the association is continuing its efforts to stop the Cromwell Ridge plan. One resident at the meeting suggested neighbors pool resources to trump the $440,000 that Craftsmen has contracted to pay the owner of the land and have the community buy it instead.

"That shows how committed we are," said association president Mike Beegan. "We are willing to take this to the limit."