§53-7  Urban renewal projects in disasterareas.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, where thecouncil of a county certifies that an area within the county is in need ofrenewal, redevelopment, or rehabilitation as a result of a seismic wave, flood,fire, hurricane, earthquake, storm, volcanic activity, explosion, or othercatastrophe, natural or of human origin (herein called "disasterarea") respecting which the governor of the State has certified the needfor disaster assistance under Public Law 875, Eighty-first Congress (64 Stat.1109), or other federal law, the council of a county may approve an urbanrenewal plan and an urban renewal project with respect to the area withoutregard to:

(1)  The provisions of this chapter as follows:  thedefinitions of "redevelopment area" and "urban area" insection 53-1; the proviso of the first sentence of paragraph (4) of section53-5; the requirements for housing of displaced families, approval of the planby planning commission, public hearings and findings required by the countycouncil 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 theproceedings or of the renewal plan provided in section 53-6 in the case of anurban renewal project for disaster areas shall be twenty days instead of thirtydays; the exceptions set forth in the second sentence of section 53-20; theproviso of the second sentence of section 53-21; and

(2)  Any of the provisions of this chapter requiringpublic hearings or requiring that the urban renewal plan conform to the masterplan for the development of the county or locality as a whole, or that theurban renewal area be a slum area, or a blighted, deteriorated, ordeteriorating area, or that the urban renewal area be predominantly residentialin 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 anurban renewal project for disaster areas, a redevelopment agency shall have allof the rights, powers, privileges, and immunities conferred upon the agency bythis chapter including any amendment thereof or addition thereto, or by anyother law, in the same manner as though all provisions of law relating to urbanrenewal projects were applicable to the redevelopment and renewal of thedisaster areas as in this section provided, subject to the exceptionshereinabove set forth. [L Sp 1960, c 5, §1; Supp, §143-7.1; HRS §53-7; am L1987, c 283, §5; am L 1999, c 18, §1]