1534                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 903

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 obligated 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 plan-
ning 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 plan-
ning body or, if no recommendations are received 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 re-
newal 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 accom-
modations 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.

(b)    An urban renewal plan may be modified at any time, pro-
vided that if modified after the lease or sale of real property in
the urban renewal project area, the modification may be conditioned
upon such approval of the owner, lessee or successor in interest
as the municipality may deem advisable and in any event shall be
subject to such rights at law or in equity as a lessee or purchaser,
or his successor or successors in interest, may be entitled to assert.
Where the proposed modification will substantially change the urban
renewal plan as previously approved by the municipality, the modifi-
cation shall be formally approved by the municipality as in the case
of an original plan.

(c)     Upon the approval by the municipality of an urban re-
newal plan or of any modification thereof, such plan or modification
shall be deemed to be in full force and effect for the respective
urban renewal area and the municipality may then cause such plan
or modification to be carried out in accordance with its terms.

6.    Disposal of Property in Urban Renewal Area

(a) The municipality may sell, lease or otherwise transfer real
property or any interest therein acquired for it by an urban renewal
project, for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial, educa-
tional or other uses or for public use, or may retain such property or