1326                             Laws of Maryland                        [Ch. 758

(a)   The power to pass a resolution to initiate an urban renewal
project pursuant to Section 218 of this subtitle.

(b)   The power to issue general obligation bonds pursuant to Sec-
tion 223 of this subtitle.

(c)   The power to appropriate funds, and to levy taxes and assess-
ments pursuant to Section 216 (c) of this subtitle.

Section 218. Initiation of Project.

In order to initiate an urban renewal project, the legislative body
of the municipality shall adopt a resolution which

(a)  finds that one or more slum or blighted areas exist in such
municipality;

(b)  locates and defines the said slum or blighted areas;

(c)  finds that the rehabilitation, redevelopment, or a combination
thereof, of such area or areas, is necessary in the interest of the
public health, safety, morals or welfare of the residents of such
municipality.

Section 219. Preparation and approval of Plan for Urban Renewal
Project

The municipality, in order to carry out the purposes of this subtitle,
shall prepare or cause to be prepared an urban renewal plan for slum
or blighted areas in the municipality, and shall formally approve such
plan. Prior to its approval of an urban renewal project, the munici-
pality shall submit such plan to the planning body of the municipality,
for review and recommendations as to its conformity with the master
plan for the development of the municipality as a whole. The planning
body shall submit its written recommendation with respect to the
proposed urban renewal plan to the municipality within sixty days
after receipt of the plan for review; upon receipt of the recom-
mendation of the planning body or, if no recommendations are re-
ceived within said sixty days, then without such recommendations,
the municipality may proceed with a public hearing on the proposed
urban renewal project. The municipality shall hold a public hearing
on an urban renewal project after public notice thereof by publication
in a newspaper having a general circulation within the corporate
limits of the municipality. The notice shall describe the time, date,
place and purpose of the hearing, shall generally identify the urban
renewal area covered by the plan, and shall outline the general scope
of the urban renewal project under consideration. Following such
hearing, the municipality may approve an urban renewal project
and the plan therefor if it finds that: (1) a feasible method exists for
the location of any families who will be displaced from the urban
renewal area in decent, safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations
within their means and without undue hardship to such families; (2)
the urban renewal plan substantially conforms to the master plan of
the municipality as a whole; and (3) the urban renewal plan will
afford maximum opportunity, consistent with the sound needs of the
municipality as a whole, for the rehabilitation or redevelopment of
the urban renewal area by private enterprise.

An urban renewal plan may be modified at any time, provided that
if modified after the lease or sale of real property in the urban re-