Bill > S1964

Introduced Session

This bill would encourage nonprofit corporations and associations to help transform vacant properties located in older urban areas into vibrant fields of flowers, plants, fruits and vegetables. Too often, these older municipalities accumulate parcels of property that they cannot sell. Existing provisions of law authorize municipalities and counties to lease or sell public property not needed for a public use to nonprofit entities for them to perform specified laudatory public purposes thereon. This bill would add the cultivation and sale of fresh fruits and vegetables to the list of purposes for which local units may lease or sell public land for nominal consideration. The bill would also authorize local units to sell land to nonprofit entities for the provision of gardening services to the general public. Current law allows for the long-term lease of excess public land, but not the sale thereof, to nonprofits for gardening purpose. Recognizing that the transformation of excess vacant public lands into vibrant urban farms is a public purpose, the bill would afford these lands exemptions from property taxation.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Raymond Lesniak (D)*,  Donald Norcross (D)*,  John Girgenti (D),  Robert Gordon (D),  Teresa Ruiz (D),  Brian Stack (D),  Loretta Weinberg (D), 

Substituted by A2859 (2R) (on 01/10/2011)