to any areawide agency which is designated to perform metropolitan or regional planning for the area within which the assistance is to be used, and which is, to the greatest practicable extent, composed of or responsible to the elected officials of a unit of areawide government or of the units of general local government within whose jurisdiction such agency is authorized to engage in such planning, and

if made by a special purpose unit of local government, to the unit or units of general local government with authority to operate in the area within which the project is to be located.

Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, each application shall be accompanied (A) by the comments and recommendations with respect to the project involved by the areawide agency and governing bodies of the units of general local government to which the application has been submitted for review, and (B) by a statement by the applicant that such comments and recommendations have been considered prior to formal submission of the application. Such comments shall include information concerning the extent to which the project is consistent with comprehensive planning developed or in the process of development for the metropolitan area or the unit of general local government, as the case may be, and the extent to which such project contributes to the fulfillment of such planning. The comments and recommendations and the statement referred to in this paragraph shall, except in the case referred to in paragraph (2) of this subsection, be reviewed by the agency of the Federal Government to which such application

is submitted for the sole purpose of assisting it in determining whether the application is in accordance with the provisions of Federal law which govern the making of the loans or grants.

An application for a Federal loan or grant need not be accompanied by the comments and recommendations and the statements referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection, if the applicant certifies that a plan or description of the project, meeting the requirements of such rules and regulations as may be prescribed under subsection (c), or such application, has lain before an appropriate areawide agency or instrumentality or unit of general local government for a period of sixty days without comments or recommendations thereon being made by such agency or instrumentality.

The requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall also apply to any amendment of the application which, in light of the purposes of this subchapter, involves a major change in the project covered by the application prior to such amendment.