Baltimore County Councilman David Marks said he will introduce a resolution at Monday night’s council meeting asking for a special investigation into the county’s decision to issue a grading permit for a Middle River warehouse project.

During the county’s 2024 Comprehensive Zoning Map Process, Marks downzoned the manufacturing land — as well as thousands of other acres in his district — in an attempt to preserve green space and reduce pressure on local schools. Marks changed its designation to “resource conservation,” meaning it should stay green space.

In doing so, Marks, an Upper Falls Republican, believed he’d preserved the ball fields on the property adjacent to Martin State Airport at Eastern Boulevard and Wilson Point Road. The open space is important to the nearby Wilson Point community because it serves as a gateway to that waterfront enclave.

While the area around the airport has been industrialized since the 1920s, when the Glenn L. Martin Company established an aircraft plant there, the community has chafed at the ongoing development of the peninsula.

The CZMP, which gives councilmen autonomy over zoning in their districts, offered Marks the opportunity to manifest the community’s wishes with more restrictive zoning.

But shortly before Christmas, Marks learned that Trammell Crow, a national real estate developer, has begun grading the nearly 800,000-square-foot site for a future warehouse. The firm bought the 15-acre property in August for $21.6 million, according to state property records.

Despite Marks’ attempt to downzone the land, the county issued a permit for the grading Dec. 10, and the work started Dec. 22.

“In all my years as a community leader and a Councilman, I cannot recall such an egregious, insulting and improper approval of a project, particularly one of this size,” Marks said.

But Baltimore County spokesman Dakarai Turner said the permit was issued “correctly in accordance with County Code” and was disclosed publicly.

Under Baltimore County’s code, the county can’t issue permits or approve limited exemptions for development plans on a property that is subject to a rezoning under the CZMP. But, County Attorney James Benjamin Jr. argued in an email to Essex Middle River Civic Council President Josh Sines that the provision only applies to plans submitted after Sept. 1 in the year the rezoning process begins — 2023 in this case.

The property owners submitted their application on Aug. 25, 2023, seven days earlier. At the time, the land was owned by LMC Properties, part of aerospace company Lockheed Martin Corp. Therefore, Benjamin told the local leaders, the permit was issued appropriately.

Further, he explained that the project was “vested” under the previous zoning, meaning it already was greenlit under the manufacturing parameters that allow a warehouse.

“It appears the development plan was approved and a record plat was recorded vesting the project prior to the conclusion of the CZMP,” Benjamin wrote.

Lockheed Martin’s engineering firm, Kimley-Horn, filed the original development application to build warehouses on the property. Yet, the county did not issue the permit until more than two years later, on Dec. 10, 2025; by then, Trammell Crow had acquired the property.

A few days before Christmas, neighbors saw the bulldozers on the site and were confused because they had believed the property was protected.

In a statement, Trammell Crow argued that the project was vested before the rezoning process started.

“We have been working closely with the county throughout the planning process, and this industrial project is moving forward based on a development plan that was approved in August 2024, before the county’s 2024 zoning process was finalized,” the company said. “As a result, the project is currently under construction and is proceeding under the proper regulations and zoning approvals.”

Representatives for Lockheed and Kimley-Horn did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Sines, who is also running for County Council in a newly drawn district, said he frequently visits the county planning office to discuss developments in his area. No one ever mentioned this permit, he said.

“I personally met with them about this piece of property. And they signed off on this permit, knowing that it wasn’t what we wanted, and never mentioned it,” he said. “I get that the developers want to hide what they’re doing, but why does the county? It’s really disgusting that county employees did that, and a waste of my time.”

Sines has reached out to the county Office of People’s Counsel, which sometimes represents community associations that are at odds with the county over development issues. But time, he acknowledges, is not on the community’s side.

First, the bulldozers came out. On Monday, fencing encircled the property and grading appeared to be underway.

“They did not have fencing in Friday. But they have it now,” Sines said. “The further along they dig, the more likely a judge will say is that they are vested.”