2023 New York Laws › GMU - General Municipal › Article 15 - Urban Renewal › 503 - Powers of Municipalities.

§   503.  Powers  of  municipalities.  Every  municipality  is  hereby
authorized to plan and undertake one or more urban renewal projects  and
shall  have  the  powers  necessary  or  convenient  to  carry  out  and
effectuate such project or projects and the purposes and  provisions  of
this article, including but not limited to the following powers:
(a)  Cooperate  with  the  federal government and apply for and accept
advances, loans, grants, subsidies, contributions and any other form  of
financial  assistance  from  the  federal government, or from the state,
county or other public body, or from any sources public or private,  for
the  purposes  of  this  article;  and  to  give such security as may be
required and to enter into and carry  out  contracts  or  agreements  in
connection  therewith;  and  to  include  in  any contract for financial
assistance with the federal government for or with respect to  an  urban
renewal  project,  or with respect to any other program authorized under
the housing act of nineteen hundred forty-nine, and  all  other  federal
laws  amendatory  and  supplemental  thereto,  such  conditions  imposed
pursuant to federal laws as the municipality  may  deem  reasonable  and
appropriate  and  which  are  not inconsistent with the purposes of this
article. Such conditions may include but shall not  be  limited  to  (1)
provisions  requiring  payment of not less than certain minimum salaries
and wages to architects, engineers, technicians, laborers, mechanics and
other personnel; (2) provisions prohibiting rebates and kick backs;  and
(3)  provisions  requiring  contractors  and  subcontractors  to furnish
reports and other data to the secretary of labor;
(b) Provide local grants-in-aid, as provided under such federal  laws,
in  the form of appropriations, cash, municipal services and facilities,
or any other form;
(c) Borrow  money  and  issue  bonds  or  other  obligations  for  the
acquisition  of  property  in  the same manner as for the acquisition of
property for other public purposes or as otherwise provided  in  article
two of the local finance law;
(d)  Provide  for demolition and clearance of property, improvement of
property, or development and use of air rights and concomitant easements
or other rights of user necessary for the use and  development  of  such
air  rights  and  air right sites, including the remedying of unsuitable
topographical,  subsoil  or  other  physical  conditions  which   impede
development   within   the  urban  renewal  area,  and  construction  of
foundations and platforms as well as other necessary site  work  by  the
municipality  or  by  the  person,  firm  or  corporation  to  whom such
property, air rights and easements  or  air  rights  site,  is  sold  or
leased, provided, however, that any such work upon or affecting railroad
property, right-of-way or facilities shall be subject to the approval of
and  joint supervision by the railroad company or companies affected. No
work upon or affecting railroad  property,  right-of-way  or  facilities
shall  be  progressed  without  the  approval of the railroad company or
companies, and in connection with all such projects  upon  or  affecting
railroad  property, right-of-way or facilities appropriate standards for
safety of operations, ventilation and lighting shall be subject  to  the
approval  of  the  railroad company or companies affected.  In the event
that such demolition, clearance, improvement or development is  done  by
the  municipality or funded by the municipality, the cost thereof may be
financed in the same manner as acquisition costs.  Any municipality with
a population of one million or more persons may provide a loan  for  the
purpose  of  carrying  out  such  demolition,  clearance, improvement or
development and use to the person, firm  or  corporation  to  whom  such
property,  air  rights,  easements or air rights site is sold or leased.
Such loans shall be made upon  terms  and  conditions  approved  by  the
agency, for a term not to exceed thirty years;
(e)  Develop,  test  and  report  methods and techniques and carry out
demonstration and other activities in relation to or in connection  with
one  or more programs of urban renewal or other programs relating to the
arrest and prevention of conditions of  deterioration  or  blight.    In
carrying  out such demonstration and other activities a municipality may
itself reconstruct, repair, rehabilitate or otherwise improve such  real
property  or may sell, lease or otherwise dispose of such real property,
for the effectuation of such activities or purposes by the purchaser  or
lessee thereof, pursuant to the provisions of section five hundred seven
of this article;
(f)  prepare  or  cause  to be prepared a general neighborhood renewal
plan for an area consisting of an urban renewal area or areas,  together
with any adjoining areas having specially related problems, and which is
of  such  size that urban renewal activities may have to be initiated in
stages;
(g) prepare or cause to be prepared a community-wide plan  or  program
for  urban  renewal  which  shall conform to the comprehensive community
plan for the development of the municipality as a whole.
(h) for the purpose of preserving the integrity of  an  urban  renewal
plan,  to require, for a maximum period of three years after approval of
an urban renewal plan pursuant to section  five  hundred  five  of  this
article,  the  consent  of  the  agency  to  the  issuance of a building
construction or alteration permit or  certificate  of  occupancy  for  a
structure  or  use  within the urban renewal area or within that part or
portion of such area for which a plan has been so approved  (except  for
construction,  alteration  or  use  which is necessary for the immediate
protection of public health or safety). Such consent shall be based upon
a determination by the agency that the proposed construction, alteration
or use is not inconsistent with the plan.
(i) notwithstanding anything to the contrary  contained  elsewhere  in
this  chapter,  or  in any general, special or local law, in addition to
any other powers of a municipality, to appropriate the  necessary  funds
for  and  authorize  the  payment  of  the  actual reasonable moving and
related expenses as well as supplemental and additional payments  to  be
paid   to   individuals,   families,  business  concerns  or  non-profit
organizations  displaced  by  reason   of   urban   renewal   or   other
federally-aided  activities,  so  that disproportionate injuries are not
suffered as a result of such programs, in accordance with  federal  law,
rules  and  regulations, as may be imposed by any contract for financial
assistance  between  the  municipality  and   federal   government,   in
connection  with  an  urban renewal project or other authorized program,
pursuant to such conditions as the municipality may deem reasonable  and
appropriate  and  which  are  not inconsistent with the purposes of this
article.