Gerst Road Park Prompts Task Force, Public Meeting

PERRY HALL, MD – Councilman David Marks has assembled a task force to make recommendations for a piece of property in Perry Hall that is slated to become a new park.

“My preference is for very little construction so this remains a quiet, largely-wild area that provides peace of mind for residents,” Marks said in a statement.

The land off Gerst Road spans more than 22 acres. 

Baltimore County bought the 22.3-acre parcel on Gerst Road near New Gerst Lane last year for $3.07 million using a grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' Program Open Space. In June, crews began clearing invasive species off the property, according to Marks.

This week, Marks said a task force about the future use of the land will be led by Greg Heitner, the Fifth District representative and chair of the Baltimore County Board of Recreation and Parks, who lives adjacent to the property, and a public meeting about it will be held in August.

The task force includes community leaders like Pat Keller of the Perry Hall Improvement Association and Ed Beranek  of the White Marsh Recreation Council, as well as neighbors who expressed interest over the years, including Nancy and John Conn, Tom Kunkel, Jill Loudoun, Christopher Schaefer, Jeanne Stork, Christina Thompson and Tiffany Watts, Marks told Perry Hall Patch.

A public meeting about the Gerst Road park is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 23, on Zoom. The public can listen and participate, according to Marks. Here is the meeting link.

Related: 22 Acres In Perry Hall Being Prepared For New Park

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