§53-7 Urban renewal projects in disaster areas. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, where the council of a county certifies that an area within the county is in need of renewal, redevelopment, or rehabilitation as a result of a seismic wave, flood, fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm, volcanic activity, explosion, or other catastrophe, natural or of human origin (herein called "disaster area") respecting which the governor of the State has certified the need for disaster assistance under Public Law 875, Eighty-first Congress (64 Stat. 1109), or other federal law, the council of a county may approve an urban renewal plan and an urban renewal project with respect to the area without regard to:

(1) The provisions of this chapter as follows: the definitions of "redevelopment area" and "urban area" in section 53-1; the proviso of the first sentence of paragraph (4) of section 53-5; the requirements for housing of displaced families, approval of the plan by planning commission, public hearings and findings required by the county council prior to the approval of the plan as contained in section 53-6, provided that the limitation of time in which to contest validity of the proceedings or of the renewal plan provided in section 53-6 in the case of an urban renewal project for disaster areas shall be twenty days instead of thirty days; the exceptions set forth in the second sentence of section 53-20; the proviso of the second sentence of section 53-21; and

(2) Any of the provisions of this chapter requiring public hearings or requiring that the urban renewal plan conform to the master plan for the development of the county or locality as a whole, or that the urban renewal area be a slum area, or a blighted, deteriorated, or deteriorating area, or that the urban renewal area be predominantly residential in character or be developed or redeveloped for residential use.

In the preparation, planning, financing, acquisition, and disposal of real property, and the execution generally of an urban renewal project for disaster areas, a redevelopment agency shall have all of the rights, powers, privileges, and immunities conferred upon the agency by this chapter including any amendment thereof or addition thereto, or by any other law, in the same manner as though all provisions of law relating to urban renewal projects were applicable to the redevelopment and renewal of the disaster areas as in this section provided, subject to the exceptions hereinabove set forth. [L Sp 1960, c 5, §1; Supp, §143-7.1; HRS §53-7; am L 1987, c 283, §5; am L 1999, c 18, §1]