§ 160A-501. Findings and declaration of policy.
§ 160A‑501. Findings and declaration of policy.
It is hereby determined and declared as a matter of legislativefinding:
(1) That there exist in urban communities in this State blightedareas as defined herein.
(2) That such areas are economic or social liabilities,inimical and injurious to the public health, safety, morals and welfare of theresidents of the State, harmful to the social and economic well‑being ofthe entire communities in which they exist, depreciating values therein,reducing tax revenues, and thereby depreciating further the general community‑widevalues.
(3) That the existence of such areas contributes substantiallyand increasingly to the spread of disease and crime, necessitating excessiveand disproportionate expenditures of public funds for the preservation of thepublic health and safety, for crime prevention, correction, prosecution,punishment and the treatment of juvenile delinquency and for the maintenance ofadequate police, fire and accident protection and other public services andfacilities, constitutes an economic and social liability, substantially impairsor arrests the sound growth of communities.
(4) That the foregoing conditions are beyond remedy or controlentirely by regulatory processes in the exercise of the police power and cannotbe effectively dealt with by private enterprise under existing law without theadditional aids herein granted.
(5) That the acquisition, preparation, sale, sound replanning,and redevelopment of such areas in accordance with sound and approved plans fortheir redevelopment will promote the public health, safety, convenience andwelfare.
Therefore, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the State of NorthCarolina to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the inhabitants thereofby the creation of bodies corporate and politic to be known as redevelopmentcommissions, which shall exist and operate for the public purposes of acquiringand replanning such areas and of holding or disposing of them in such mannerthat they shall become available for economically and socially soundredevelopment. Such purposes are hereby declared to be public uses for whichpublic money may be spent, and private property may be acquired by the exerciseof the power of eminent domain. (1951, c. 1095, s. 2; 1973, c. 426, s. 75.)