1654                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 791

21A.

1.   This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Urban Renewal
Law.

21A.

2.   The following terms wherever used or referred to in this sub-
heading shall have the following meanings, unless a different mean-
ing is clearly indicated by the context:

(a)   "Federal Government" shall include the United States of
America or any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of
the United States of America.

(b)   "Slum Area" shall mean any area excluding any area within
the corporate limits of the City of Annapolis where dwellings pre-
dominate, which, by reason of depreciation, overcrowding, faulty ar-
rangement or design, lack of ventilation, light or sanitary facilities,
or any combination of these factors, are detrimental to the public
safety, health or morals.

(c)   "Blighted Area" shall mean an area excluding any area within
the corporate limits of the City of Annapolis in which a majority of
buildings have declined in productivity by reason of obsolescence, de-
preciation or other causes to an extent they no longer justify funda-
mental repairs and adequate maintenance.

(d)   "Urban Renewal Project" shall mean undertakings and activi-
ties of the County in an urban renewal area for the elimination and
for the prevention of the development or spread of slums and blight,
and may involve slum clearance and redevelopment in an urban re-
newal area, or rehabilitation or conservation in an urban renewal
area, or any combination or part thereof in accordance with an urban
renewal plan. Such undertakings and activities may include—

(1)   acquisition of a slum area or a blighted area or portion
thereof;

(2)   demolition and removal of buildings and improvements;

(3)   installation, construction or reconstruction of streets, utili-
ties, parks, playgrounds, and other improvements necessary for carry-
ing out in the urban renewal area the urban renewal objectives of
this subheading in accordance with the urban renewal plan;

(4) disposition of any property acquired in the urban renewal area
including sale, initial leasing or retention by the Board of County
Commissioners itself, at its fair value for uses in accordance with
the urban renewal plan;

(5)   carrying out plans for a program of voluntary or compulsory
repair and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements in ac-
cordance with the urban renewal plan;

(6)   acquisition of any other real property in the urban renewal
area where necessary to eliminate unhealthful, unsanitary or unsafe
conditions, lessen density, eliminate obsolete or other uses detri-
mental to the public welfare, or otherwise to remove or prevent the
spread of blight or deterioration, or to provide land for needed public
facilities; and