50 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 19

serve the scenic beauty of Howard County and to promote the
orderly growth of said County in the interest of all its inhabi-
tants, the County Commissioners of Howard County are
hereby empowered to designate Zoning Districts within the
bounds of said County, regulate the use, height, area and type
of construction of buildings and the use of land. Such regula-
tions shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan.
The County Commissioners of Howard County may desig-
nate within the County certain Districts of such number,
shape and area as may be deemed best suited to carry out the
purposes of this sub-title, and within such Districts they may,
by appropriate regulations, restrict, control, limit or regulate
the erection, alteration, repair and use of buildings and the
use of land and regulate the number of families which may be
housed per acre of land. All such regulations shall be uniform
for each class or kind of building or structure throughout
each District, but the regulations in one District may differ
from those in other Districts.

361. The County Commissioners shall determine the manner
in which regulations and restrictions, and the boundaries of
such Districts, shall be established and enforced, and from
time to time amended, supplemented and changed. Before
determining the boundaries of the proposed Districts and the
regulations to be enforced therein, they shall hold a public
hearing or hearings thereon, giving at least fifteen days
notice in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the
County, of the place and time of the beginning of such hearing
or hearings. The County Commissioners shall have power to
amend, supplement or repeal the regulations or restrictions
adopted by them, provided that before doing so they shall
follow the same procedure with respect to notice and public
hearings as is herein provided for the original regulations and
restrictions.

362. The County Commissioners shall appoint a Zoning
Commissioner for Howard County and confer such duties,
powers and authority upon said Zoning Commissioner as
may be necessary and advisable for the proper administration
and enforcement of this sub-title, including the power to
summon and compel the attendance of witnesses.

363. Any person, persons, taxpayer, officer, department,
board or bureau of the County, jointly or severally aggrieved
by any decision of the Zoning Commissioner of Howard
County, may, within thirty days after the filing of such deci-
sion in the office of the Zoning Commissioner, appeal to the
Circuit Court for Howard County.

The said Court shall hear all such appeals de novo without
the intervention of a jury and shall have power to affirm,
modify or reverse in part or in whole any decision appealed