Bill > A07917

This bill establishes a comprehensive review process for municipalities seeking to sell, lease, or change the use of public parkland, recognizing the critical importance of protecting municipal parks as valuable community resources. The legislation requires that any proposed parkland alienation must first receive state legislative authorization and certification from a state office, with detailed requirements including a formal description of the parkland being alienated and, in most cases, a plan to replace the parkland with an equivalent or better parcel. Key provisions mandate that replacement parkland must be of equal or greater acreage, market value, and recreational usefulness, with limited exceptions for utility easements and certain park-related facility leases. The bill also establishes reporting requirements, where municipalities must submit annual reports detailing their compliance with alienation legislation, and creates enforcement mechanisms allowing the attorney general to seek injunctive relief or compel restoration of parkland if a municipality fails to meet the specified conditions. The legislation explicitly affirms the existing "public trust doctrine," which holds that municipal parkland is held in trust for public benefit, and ensures that this legal principle remains unchanged. The bill aims to protect public green spaces by creating a rigorous, transparent process that prevents arbitrary or hasty disposal of municipal parkland and ensures that any such alienation serves the broader public interest.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A7917