Opinion ID: 2316131
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Alleged Indefiniteness of the Agreement and its Reasonableness.

Text: The appellant attacks the Agreement as being so vague and indefinite that its approval by the City constitutes an unreasonable exercise of its powers. The first ground of this criticism is that there is nothing to show the location of the bridge. That objection seems to be answered by a letter from the Chairman of the State Roads Commission and a map therein referred to, which have been admitted by stipulation or agreement, much as the consent of State officials was stipulated. The map shows a definite route for each of the three elements of the planned expressway, and the letter indicates that if there are any changes, they will be only minor relocations. Absolute exactness at this stage of the proceedings is not necessary. See State Roads Commission v. Franklin, 201 Md. 549, 95 A.2d 99, a condemnation case, and Code (1951), Article 89 B, Section 53, permitting the Commission to make changes in the location of projected roads. The absence of specifications relating to the construction of the bridge is next complained of. This, too, is not persuasive. Such specifications would be essential if the contract were a contract for the actual construction of the bridge, but in an agreement of the type here involved detailed plans and specifications would be of no apparent use to either party. It is also objected that the cost of the commitments of the City (beyond the $490,000 contribution to the cost of the expressway) cannot now be determined. That may affect its desirability, but not its validity as a contract. This uncertainty has already been discussed at length in considering the power of the City to enter into the Agreement. The absence of a starting date for the State to begin work is also criticized. We think that, under the ordinary rule, where no time is specified a reasonable time will be implied. As the Circuit Court pointed out, this contract is between two public bodies, and its terms appear sufficiently definite to effectuate its purposes. There is no such vagueness of consideration as there was in Hanlon v. Levin, 168 Md. 674, 179 A. 286, relied upon by the appellant. In that case an agreement between the Board of Park Commissioners of Baltimore City for the lease of land in a public park to a radio broadcasting company was held void for two reasons  first, that the Board had no power to lease to a private corporation land which was dedicated to a public use, and second, that the consideration moving to the City was too vague and indefinite. This consideration was that the Board of Park Commissioners and the Mayor of the City should have free time at hours appropriate to the purpose to be served, for broadcasting information of a civic, educational and non-political nature over the radio station involved. Here the City is to put up $490,000, the Federal Government is to furnish a like amount, and the State of Maryland is to furnish the additional funds needed to construct a three-way major traffic artery in the City of Cumberland, the total cost of which the appellant says may exceed $12,000,000. In other words, for a direct outlay of a little more than 4% of the total cost of construction and some possible additional capital expenditures of what would seem a relatively small amount, the City is to get a modern expressway system. There is no charge or suggestion of fraud, collusion or bad faith. The decision to go ahead with the expressway was one which we think was entrusted to the Mayor and City Council. We find nothing in the case which would warrant a finding of any abuse of discretion on their part in reaching the conclusion at which they have arrived, and we think that the order appealed from was correct. See State Roads Commission v. Franklin, supra , Coddington v. Helbig, supra , Masson v. Reindollar, 193 Md. 683, 69 A.2d 482. Order affirmed, with costs.