As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section unless a different meaning is clearly indicated in the context.
(a) "Agency" or "urban renewal agency" or "local public agency" or "City" means the City of Lakewood, Ohio.
(b) "Blighted or deteriorated area" means an area within the corporate limits of the City in which there are a majority of structures or other improvements which, by reason of dilapidation, deterioration, age or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation or open spaces, high density of population and overcrowding, unsafe and unsanitary conditions or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire or other hazards and causes, or any combination of such factors, and an area with overcrowding or improper location of structures on the land, excessive dwelling unit density, detrimental land uses or conditions, unsafe, congested or poorly designed streets or inadequate public facilities or utilities, all of which substantially impair the sound growth and planning of the community, are conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency and crime, and are detrimental to the public health, safety, morals and general welfare.
(c) "Deteriorating area" means either:
(1) An area, whether predominately built up or open, which is not a blighted or deteriorated area but which, because of incompatible land uses, nonconforming uses, lack of adequate parking facilities, faulty street arrangements, obsolete platting, inadequate community and public utilities, diversity of ownership, tax delinquency, increased density of population without commensurate increases in new residential buildings and community facilities, high turnover in residential or commercial occupancy, lack of maintenance and repair of buildings, or any combination thereof, is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals and general welfare, and which will deteriorate, or is in danger of deteriorating, into a blighted or deteriorated area; or
(2) An area consisting principally of land in highways, railway or subway tracks, bridge or tunnel entrances, or other similar facilities which have a blighting influence on the surrounding area and over which air right sites can be developed thereby eliminating such blighting influence.
(d) "Project area", "urban redevelopment area" or "urban renewal area" means a blighted, deteriorated or deteriorating area, or any combination or part thereof, which Council designates as of a character and size appropriate for urban renewal activities and for which an urban redevelopment plan or urban renewal plan is proposed or prepared.
(e) "General neighborhood renewal area" means an urban renewal area together with any adjoining areas having specially related problems of such scope that urban renewal activities therein have to be initiated in more than one separate urban renewal project over an estimated period of up to eight years.
(f) "Urban renewal" or "urban redevelopment" means the activities of the City, with or without State aid or assistance, for developing, undertaking and carrying out of urban renewal or redevelopment programs and projects, including all planning and other related activities of the City in connection therewith, or any part of such activities.
(g) "Open space land" means land which has not been developed by the construction or installation of streets, utilities, buildings (except sporadic or incidental structures) or other site improvements. Whether or not such an area has been platted in whole or in part does not prevent its classification as "open space land".
(h) "Redeveloper" means any person or entity either purchasing property from the City within a project area or owning property located within such area and entering into a conforming agreement with the City in consideration of being permitted by the City to retain title to such property.
(i) "Urban renewal plan" or "urban redevelopment plan" means a plan as it exists from time to time for the urban renewal or redevelopment of a project area or part thereof.
(j) "General neighborhood renewal plan" means the plan and program as it exists from time to time for the urban renewal or redevelopment of a general neighborhood renewal area. The general neighborhood renewal plan need not contain all of the required contents set forth in Section 153.06 hereof with respect to an urban renewal plan or urban redevelopment plan. Approval of the general neighborhood renewal plan by Council does not create authority to carry out project execution activities.
(k) "Urban renewal project", "urban redevelopment project" or "project" means undertakings and activities of the City, with or without State aid or assistance, in a project area for the elimination and for the prevention of the development or spread of blighted, deteriorated or deteriorating areas, and may involve clearance and redevelopment in a project area, or rehabilitation and conservation in a project area, or any combination or part thereof, in accordance with the urban renewal or urban redevelopment plan for the project area to the full extent of and in accordance with the rights, powers and authority of the City, whether derived from the applicable provisions of the Federal or State constitution or statutes, or City ordinances. Such undertakings and activities in a project area may include:
(1) Acquisition of realty, including the acquisition of air rights;
(2) Demolition and removal of buildings and improvements;
(3) Installation, construction or reconstruction of streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds and other improvements necessary for carrying out the urban renewal or urban redevelopment plan;
(4) Disposition of property for uses in accordance with the urban renewal or urban redevelopment plan;
(5) Encouraging and assisting interested citizens in a private program of voluntary repair and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements in accordance with the urban renewal plan, with or without aid and assistance by Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance or special support for mortgage financing through the Federal National Mortgage Association or similar organizations;
(6) Acquisition of any real property where necessary to eliminate unhealthful, insanitary or unsafe conditions, lessen lot occupancy or population density as create such conditions, eliminate uses incompatible with the general character of a neighborhood and which are detrimental to the public welfare, or otherwise to remove or prevent the spread of blight or deterioration or to provide land for needed public facilities; and disposition of property so acquired in accordance with this subsection, for voluntary repair and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements in accordance with the urban renewal plan;
(7) Construction of foundations and platforms necessary for the appropriate provision of air right sites in accordance with the urban renewal or urban redevelopment plan;
(8) Acquisition and repair or rehabilitation for guidance purposes, and resale, of structures which, under the urban renewal plan, are to be repaired or rehabilitated for dwelling use or related facilities;
(9) Relocating within the project area a structure which the City determines to be of historic value and which will be disposed of to a public body or a private nonprofit organization which will renovate and maintain such structure for historic purposes. The urban renewal project shall not include the construction or improvement by the City of any building other than municipal buildings, except as provided in subsection (k)(7) and (8) and this subsection.
(l) "Clearance" or "urban redevelopment" may include those undertakings and activities identified in subsection (k)(1), (2), (3), (4) and (7) hereof.
(m) "Rehabilitation", "conservation" or "reconditioning" may include those under takings and activities identified in subsection (k)(3), (4), (5), (6), (8), and (9) hereof.
(Ord. 63-67. Passed 12-4-1967 )