Montgomery County sentinel., 1944-08-31

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WHEREAS. at the January session Of
the General Assembly of Maryland. held
in the year 1043. the following Acts
were passed, providing for the submis-
sion of amendments to the Constitution
of the State to the qualified voters of
the State of Maryland for adoption or
rejection, namely
CHAPTER 649
AN ACT to propose an amendment to
the Constitution of Maryland. by add
ing a new Article thereto, to follow
Immediately after Article XI-A, and
to be known as Article XI-B. and to
provide for the submission of said
Amendment to the qualified voters Of
the State of Maryland. for adoption or
rejection.
Section /: Be it enacted by the Gen
eral Assembly of Maryland, (three fifths
Of all members of each of the two
Houses concurring). That the following
Article to follow Immediately after Ar
ticle XI-A, and to be known as Article
XI-B, be and the same Is hereby pro-
posed as an amendment to the Consti.
tuition of Maryland, which Article II
adopted by the qualified voters of the
State of Maryland, as herein provided.
shall thereby, by such adoption, be and
become a part of the Constitution of
Maryland.
BALTIMORE REDEvELOPMENT
COMMISSION
Section 1. The General Assembly OF
Maryland, by public local law, may au
thorize the Mayor and City Council of
Baltimore to create Baltimore Re
development Commission. Any public
local law authorizing the creation of the
Baltimore RedevelOpment Commission
shall contain the following provisions:
(a) The Baltimore Redevelopment
Commission shall come into being only
when the City Council Of Baltimore
shall pass a resolution that there Is
need for the establishment of such a
Commission in the City of Baltimore
When the City Council of Baltimore
adopts such resolution, it shall prompt
ly notify the Mayor of Baltimore City
Of such adoption. Upon receiving such
notice and approving said resolution,
the Mayor shall appoint i've persons Tor
such additional number of persons as
the General Assembly may provide In
said public local law, as Commission
ers of the Baltimore Redevelopment
Commission. The Commissioners shall
serve for such terms and shall receive
such compensation the General Assembly
may provide in said public local law.
(b) The Baltimore Redevelopment
Commission, when created, shall have
power and authority to acquire land in
slums and blighted areas in Baltimore
ton, and to reconvey any such land by
sale or lease for redevelopment, in &C
cOrdance with redevelOpment plan for
Baltimore City. provided that such re-
development plan has first been ap-
proved by the Commission on City Plan
Of Baltimore City; and provided further
that no such slum or blighted area to
be acquired shall be less than eight
acres or more than eighty acres. The
term "slum" shall mean any area where
dwellings predominant, which by rea-
son of depreciation, OvercrOwding, faulty
arrangement or design, lack of ventila
tiOn, light or sanitary facilities, or any
combination of these factors, are detrf-
mental to the public safety, health or
morals. The term "blighted area" shall
mean an area in which a majority of
the buildings have declined in prOduc-
tivity by reason of obsolescence, depre-
citation or other causes to an extent they
no longer Justify fundamental repairs
and adequate maintenance.
(c) The Baltimore RedevelOpment
Commission shall have authority to use
the power of eminent domain to ac-
quire any land needed for any rede-
velopment project; provided, however.
that the Baltimore Redevelopment Com
mission shall have first obtained options
upon or shall have purchased at least
SO percentum of such land area required
for any such redevelOpment project.
Property already devoted to public
use may be acquired by the Baltimore
Redevelopment Commission; provided.
however, that no real property belong
ing to the State Of Maryland or the
Mayor and City Council of Baltimore
may be acquired without the consent
of said State or Of said City, as the
case may be. No property taken by the
Baltimore Redevelopment Commission.
by exercise of the power OF eminent
domain, shall be taken without just
hafx
the parties, or awarded by a Jury.
(d) The Baltimore Redevelopment
Commission shall have power to Pc
tition the United States of America for
loans of money and to receive from the
United States of America such loans to
be used in the acquisition of land in
slums and blighted areas for redevelop-
ment and for use in the preparation Of
any redevelopment plan.
(e) The Baltimore Redevelopment
Commission shall have power to recon-
vey any land acquired by It,, either by
purchase, lease or condemnation to any
private corporations, companies, part
nerships, or persons, for redevelopment
and rebuilding, at price consistent
with the new uses which the Commits
sion on City Plan shall prescribe for
such land, even though such price ; ay
be below the original cost of acquisi-
tion. The Baltimore RedevelOpment
Commission shall have power to include
In the terms of sale or leases of land
to private corporations. companies,
partnerships. or persons, provisions OBJ
iigating the purchasers or lessees of
such land to begin the building of i'm
prOvements within a reasonable period
of time; and to include in such con-
tracts, appropriate covenants and re-
strictions to maintain standards OF
population density, property mainte-
nance, character of the use of land, and
architectural standards established in
the redevelopment plan and approved
by the Commission on City Plan OF
Baltimore City.
(f) The Baltimore Redevelopment
Commission shall have no power to
pledge the credit Of, or In any way
bind the Mayor and City Council Of
Baltimore, and the Mayor and City
Council Of Baltimore shall not be liable
In any way or manner whatsoever, for
any Of the obligations, contracts, or
undertakings of the Baltimore Rede-
velOpment Commission.
Sec. 2. The General Assembly Of
Maryland may grant the Baltimore Re-
development Commission, any and all
additional powers necessary ana proper
to carry into effect the above mentioned
powers and purposes Of said Commits
sion, provided such additional powers
are not Inconsistent with the terms and
provisions of this Article XI-B, and
with any other provisions OF the Con.
stitution of Maryland. The General
Assembly may add such other and fur.
ther limitations upon the powers and
the exercise of such powers Of the Bal
timore Redevelopment Commission as II
may deem proper and expedient.
Sec 3. And be 1t further enacted,
That the aforegoing Article hereby pro-
posed as an amendment to the Consti-
tuition of Maryland. shall, at the Elec-
ton to be held in November. 1914, be
submitted to the legal and qualified
voters of the State of Maryland. for
their adoption or rejection, In pursu-
ance OF the directions contained In Ar
ticle XIV OF the Constitution Of Mary
land, and at the said General Election,
the vote on the said proposed amend,
ment to the Constitution shall be by
hallof and uDOu each ballot there shall