1492                              LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 895

provisions relating to the organization of said public body or agency
as may be necessary. In the event the legislative body enacts such
an ordinance, all of the powers of this subheading granted to the
municipality shall, from the effective date of said ordinance, be
vested in the public body or agency thereby established, except:

(1)   The power to pass a resolution to initiate an urban renewal
project pursuant to Section 4 of this subheading.

(2)   The power to issue general obligation bonds pursuant to
Section 9 of this subheading.

(3)   The power to appropriate funds, and to levy taxes and as-
sessments pursuant to Section 2(3) of this subheading.

4. Initiation of Project.

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

(1)  finds that one or more than one slum or blighted areas exists
in such municipality;

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

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

5. Preparation and Approval of Plan for Urban Renewal Project.

(a) The municipality, in order to carry out the purposes of this
subheading, 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 municipality 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 recommendations of the planning body or, if no recommenda-
tions are received within said sxty SIXTY days, then without such rec-
ommendations, 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 ap-
prove 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, 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 re-
habilitation or redevelopment of the urban renewal area by private
enterprise.