2184

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 739

(c)    The classification of and the benefit assessment
made against any property by the [Commission] BOARD is
final, subject only to revision at the hearing. The
[Commission] BOARD may change the classification of
properties from time to time as the properties change in the
uses to which they are put. The benefit assessment shall be
levied for water supply[,] AND sewerage [and drainage]
construction, and shall be based for each class of property
upon the number of front feet abutting upon the street,
lane, road, alley, or right-of—way in which the water pipe
or sewer is placed; provided, however, that in the case of
any irregular shaped lot abutting upon a road, street, lane,
alley, or right-of-way in which there is or is being
constructed a water [main, sewer or drainage] OR SEWERAGE
system at any point, the lot shall be assessed for such
frontage as the [Commission] BOARD may determine to be
reasonable and fair; and provided further than no
residential property may be assessed on more than one side
unless it abuts upon two parallel streets, that corner lots
may be averaged and assessed upon such frontage as the
[Commission] BOARD may deem reasonable and fair, and that
all lots in the residential and industrial or business
classification shall be assessed even though a water main or
sewer may not extend along the full length of any boundary;
and provided further, that no land classified as
agricultural by the [ Commission] BOARD shall be assessed a
front foot benefit when it has constructed through it or in
front of it a sewer or water main until such time as the
water or sewer connection is made, and when so made and for
every connection such land is liable to a front foot
assessment for such reasonable frontage not exceeding three
hundred (300) feet, or as may be determined by the
[Commission] BOARD, and shall be immediately assessed at the
rate of assessment determined by the [Commission] BOARD for
agricultural land. Any land owned by a religious body upon
which there is erected a church or a parsonage and which is
used exclusively for customary religious purposes, in the
discretion of the [Commission] BOARD, may be exempted from
front foot benefit assessment for that frontage not
exceeding 150 feet.

(d)    Front foot benefit assessments for water [supply]
and sewerage [and drainage] construction shall be as nearly
uniform as is practicable for each class or subclass of
property for any one year, and no benefit charge, once
levied, may be increased; provided, however, that whenever
the [Commission] COUNTY acquires an existing system other
than a municipal system, the construction of which has been
added in whole or in part to the purchase price of land or
lots abutting upon the system and which contribution the
[Commission] BOARD has determined to be a factor in the cost
to the [Commission] COUNTY of such system, the [Commission]
BOARD in its discretion may levy such lesser assessment as
may take into account this factor.

(e)    The amount of the assessment per front foot for
each class of property for water [, sewer and drainage] AND