§4780.25. Newly incorporated municipality; validity of development agreement entered into prior to incorporation; duration of validity; modification of agreement

A. Except as otherwise provided in R.S. 33:4780.30 and 4780.32, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, if a newly incorporated municipality comprises territory that was formerly unincorporated, any development agreement entered into by the parish prior to the effective date of the incorporation shall remain valid within the newly incorporated municipality for the duration of the agreement, or eight years from the effective date of the incorporation, whichever is earlier. The holder of the development agreement and the newly incorporated municipality may agree that the development agreement shall remain valid for more than eight years, provided that the longer period shall not exceed fifteen years from the effective date of the incorporation. The holder of the development agreement and the newly incorporated municipality shall have the same rights and obligations with respect to each other as if the property had remained in the unincorporated territory of the parish.

B. The newly incorporated municipality may modify or suspend the provisions of the development agreement if the municipality determines that the failure of the municipality to do so would place the residents of the territory subject to the development agreement or the residents of the municipality, or both, in a condition dangerous to their health or safety, or both.

C. Except as otherwise provided in Subsection D of this Section, this Section shall apply to any development agreement which meets both of the following requirements:

(1) The application for the agreement is submitted to the parish prior to the date that the first signature was affixed to the petition for incorporation pursuant to R.S. 33:1.

(2) The parish enters into the agreement with the applicant prior to the date of the special election on the question of incorporation conducted pursuant to R.S. 33:3.

D. This Section shall not apply to any territory subject to a development agreement if that territory is incorporated and the effective date of the incorporation is prior to January 1, 1989.

Acts 1988, No. 505, §1.