Marvin Mandel, Governor                            955

Sec. 2. 3. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 1971.

Approved May 17, 1971.

CHAPTER 431
(Senate Bill 2)

AN ACT to add new Section 14C to Article 78A of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume), title "Public
Works," subtitle "Board of Public Works," to follow immediately
after Section 14B thereof, authorizing the Board of Public Works
to acquire certain architectural easements in and to specified areas
in the city of Annapolis, describing the purpose of these architec-
tural easements, and providing generally for the procedure and
powers of the Board of Public Works for this purpose and for
the provisions and restrictions applicable to these architectural
easements.

Whereas, The environment of the majestic State House and of
the Governor's Mansion in Annapolis is of deep concern to the Mary-
land General Assembly and the people of Maryland. It has been the
State's purpose to enhance and enrich the historic surroundings of
the State Capital.

Thus we have appropriated special funds in order that State office
buildings and underground parking lots will be designed in architec-
tural harmony with nearby historical structures. The State's ex-
ample has not been emulated, and seven times in the last several
years the environment of the government buildings has been jeopar-
dized. In 1953, 1960, 1961 and 1969, inappropriate parking has been
proposed for State Circle. In 1959, 1964 and 1965, large scale multi-
story buildings were planned on Francis Street and State Circle.
Only determined effort prevented the environmental degradation of
these developments.

In order to protect the Capital of Maryland and the National His-
toric District of Annapolis, the General Assembly makes these fur-
ther provisions concerning the protection of the architectural integ-
rity of the vicinity of the State House in Annapolis; now, therefore,

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 14C be and it is hereby added to Article 78A
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1969 Replacement Volume),
title "Public Works," subtitle "Board of Public Works," to follow
immediately after Section 14B thereof, and to read as follows:

14C.

(a) The Board of Public Works may acquire architectural ease-
ments in and to the areas in the City of Annapolis specified else-
where in this section, for the purpose of preserving the architectural