7-15-4262. Disposal of municipal property in urban renewal areas. (1) A municipality may:

(a) sell, lease, or otherwise transfer real property in an urban renewal area or any interest in real property acquired by it for an urban renewal project for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial, or other uses or for public use and enter into contracts with respect to the real property; or

(b) retain the property or interest only for parks and recreation, education, public transportation, public safety, health, highways, streets and alleys, administrative buildings, or civic centers, in accordance with the urban renewal project plan and subject to any covenants, conditions, and restrictions, including covenants running with the land, that it considers necessary or desirable to assist in preventing the development or spread of blighted areas or otherwise to carry out the purposes of this part.

(2) The sale, lease, other transfer, or retention and any agreement relating the real property may be made only after the approval of the urban renewal plan by the local governing body.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (5), the real property or interest must be sold, leased, otherwise transferred, or retained at not less than its fair value for uses in accordance with the urban renewal plan. In determining the fair value of real property for uses in accordance with the urban renewal plan, a municipality shall take into account and give consideration to the:

(a) uses provided in the plan;

(b) restrictions upon and the covenants, conditions, and obligations assumed by the purchaser or lessee or by the municipality retaining the property; and

(c) objectives of the plan for the prevention of the recurrence of blighted areas.

(4) Real property acquired by a municipality which, in accordance with the provisions of the urban renewal plan, is to be transferred must be transferred as rapidly as feasible, in the public interest, consistent with the carrying out of the provisions of the urban renewal plan.

(5) A transfer under this section may include a donation of the land or a sale of the land at a reduced price to a corporation for the purpose of constructing:

(a) a multifamily housing development operated by the corporation for low-income housing;

(b) single-family houses. Upon completion of a house, the corporation shall sell the property to a low-income person who meets the eligibility requirements of the corporation. Once the sale is completed, the property becomes subject to taxation.

(c) improvements to real property or modifying, altering, or repairing improvements to real property that will enable the corporation, subject to the restrictions of Article X, section 6, of the Montana constitution, to pursue purposes specified in the articles of incorporation of the corporation, including the sale, lease, rental, or other use of the donated land and improvements.

(6) Land that is transferred pursuant to subsection (5) must be used to permanently provide low-income housing. The transfer of the property may contain a reversionary clause to reflect this condition.

History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 195, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 134, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 11-3909(part); amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 170, L. 2009.