(1)The general assembly finds and
declares that there exist in municipalities of this state slum and blighted areas
which constitute a serious and growing menace, injurious to the public health,
safety, morals, and welfare of the residents of the state in general and of the
municipalities thereof; that the existence of such areas contributes substantially to
the spread of disease and crime, constitutes an economic and social liability,
substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of municipalities, retards the
provision of housing accommodations, aggravates traffic problems and impairs or
arrests the elimination of traffic hazards and the improvement of traffic facilities;
and that the prevention and elimination of slums and blight is a matter of public
policy and statewide
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(1) The general assembly finds and
declares that there exist in municipalities of this state slum and blighted areas
which constitute a serious and growing menace, injurious to the public health,
safety, morals, and welfare of the residents of the state in general and of the
municipalities thereof; that the existence of such areas contributes substantially to
the spread of disease and crime, constitutes an economic and social liability,
substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of municipalities, retards the
provision of housing accommodations, aggravates traffic problems and impairs or
arrests the elimination of traffic hazards and the improvement of traffic facilities;
and that the prevention and elimination of slums and blight is a matter of public
policy and statewide concern in order that the state and its municipalities shall not
continue to be endangered by areas which are focal centers of disease, promote
juvenile delinquency, and consume an excessive proportion of its revenues because
of the extra services required for police, fire, accident, hospitalization, and other
forms of public protection, services, and facilities.
(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that certain slum or
blighted areas, or portions thereof, may require acquisition, clearance, and
disposition subject to use restrictions, as provided in this part 1, since the prevailing
conditions therein may make impracticable the reclamation of the area by
conservation or rehabilitation; that other slum or blighted areas, or portions thereof,
through the means provided in this part 1, may be susceptible of conservation or
rehabilitation in such a manner that the conditions and evils enumerated in this
section may be eliminated, remedied, or prevented; and that salvable slum and
blighted areas can be conserved and rehabilitated through appropriate public
action, as authorized or contemplated in this part 1, and the cooperation and
voluntary action of the owners and tenants of property in such areas.
(3) The general assembly further finds and declares that the powers
conferred by this part 1 are for public uses and purposes for which public money
may be expended and the police power exercised and that the necessity in the
public interest for the provisions enacted in this part 1 is declared as a matter of
legislative determination.
(4) The general assembly further finds and declares that:
(a) Urban renewal areas created for the purposes described in subsections
(1) and (2) of this section shall not include agricultural land except in connection
with the limited circumstances described in this part 1; and
(b) The inclusion of agricultural land within urban renewal areas is a matter
of statewide concern.