Sec. 7-603. Legislative finding; exercise of power of eminent domain in neighborhood revitalization areas. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 7-603. Legislative finding; exercise of power of eminent domain in neighborhood revitalization areas. It is found and declared that there has existed and will continue to exist in municipalities of the state substandard, insanitary and blighted neighborhoods in which there are significant properties that have been foreclosed, and are abandoned, which constitute a serious menace to the environment, public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the state; that the existence of such conditions in neighborhoods contributes substantially and increasingly to the spread of disease and crime, necessitating excessive and disproportionate expenditures of public funds for the preservation of the public health and safety, for crime prevention, correction, prosecution, punishment and the treatment of juvenile delinquency and for the maintenance of adequate police, fire and accident protection and other public services and facilities, and the existence of such conditions constitutes an economic and social liability, substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of municipalities and retards the provision of housing accommodations; that this menace is beyond remedy and control solely by regulatory process in the exercise of the police power and cannot be dealt with effectively by the ordinary operations of private enterprise and government without the powers herein provided; that the acquisition of the property because of the substandard, insanitary and blighted conditions thereon, the removal of structures and improvement of sites, the disposition of the property for revitalization incidental to accomplish the purposes of sections 7-600 to 7-607, inclusive, the exercise of powers by municipalities acting to create neighborhood revitalization zones as provided in sections 7-600 to 7-602, inclusive, and any assistance which may be given by any public body in connection therewith, are public uses and purposes for which public money may be expended and the power of eminent domain exercised; and that the necessity in the public interest for the provisions of this section and section 48-6 is declared to be a matter of legislative determination.

      (P.A. 95-340, S. 4.)