1194                             Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 773

said Prince George's County outside of the boundaries of the incor-
porated towns or cities and Special Improvement Districts [, provided
that a petition requesting any of said improvements shall be presented
to the County Commissioners signed by the owners of at least 51%
of the abutting front footage of the property adjoining the roadways,
alleys, curbs, sidewalks or gutters to be improved.] after a determi-
nation that said improvements are necessary and desirable. IT IS
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT BEFORE ANY SUCH DETER-
MINATION IS MADE THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SHALL GIVE AT LEAST TWO
WEEKS NOTICE BY LETTERS WRITTEN TO THE ASSESSED
OWNERS OF RECORD OF ALL ABUTTING PROPERTY PRO-
POSED TO BE SUBJECT TO AN ASSESSMENT FOR SAID
IMPROVEMENTS AND MAILED TO SUCH OWNERS AT
THEIR ADDRESSES AS ARE SHOWN ON THE ASSESSMENT
RECORDS OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, AND ALSO BY
ADVERTISEMENT, PUBLISHED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK
FOR TWO SUCCESSIVE WEEKS IN ONE OR MORE NEWS-
PAPERS PUBLISHED IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY WHICH
HAS A CIRCULATION IN THE AREA AFFECTED, WHICH
LETTER AND ADVERTISEMENT OR NOTICE SHALL STATE
THE DATE ON WHICH SUCH DETERMINATION BY A HEAR-
ING SHALL BE MADE AND GIVING A BRIEF DESCRIPTION
OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS, AND WARNING ALL
ABUTTING OWNERS TO APPEAR AT A TIME AND PLACE
STATED IN SAID LETTER, ADVERTISEMENT OR NOTICE,
TO SHOW CAUSE, IF ANY THERE BE, WHY SUCH IMPROVE-
MENTS SHOULD NOT BE MADE AS PROPOSED.

(b) The Board of County Commissioners shall, by proper ordinance
or resolution, adopt all necessary rules and regulations for the con-
struction, maintenance or operation of said improvements and shall
fix the time and manner of payment. THE COUNTY COMMIS-
SIONERS SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DEFER FOR
A PERIOD OF TIME, NOT TO EXCEED FIVE YEARS, THE
PAYMENT OF SUCH SUMS OF MONEY ON SAID ASSESS-
MENTS APPLICABLE TO THE PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL;
AND MAY COLLECT ONLY SUCH SUMS AS MAY BE DETER-
MINED TO BE INTEREST CHARGES ON THE PRINCIPAL
INDEBTEDNESS AND CHARGES AGAINST THE PROP-
ERTY AFFECTED. All special assessments or taxes levied
by the said Board of County Commissioners shall be treated in
all respects as county taxes collected by the County Treasurer, and
shall have all of the priorities and lien rights of county taxes. When-
ever the Board of County Commissioners shall be required to make
any special assessment against abutting land for street improvement,
whether for the construction of roadways, sidewalks, curbs or gut-
ters and/or storm drainage, any or all of them, and such lot is located
at the intersection of two streets and is what is known as a corner
lot, the Board of County Commissioners shall have the power to make
an assessment for the number of feet in the front of such lot, where
the said improvement abuts on the front of such lot, and in case the
improvement abuts on the side of such a lot, the assessment made
for such improvement against the lot shall be for one-half of the
number of linear feet of the side of said lot, not to exceed a total
exemption of fifty linear feet, and for the purpose of assessment the