Requires the conducting of public hearings and reports thereon prior to the closure to public access of any real property by the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation.

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S1918-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION
• Jan 14, 2011: REFERRED TO CULTURAL AFFAIRS, TOURISM, PARKS AND RECREATION

S1918-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S1918

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
relation to requiring an evaluation of the impacts of the closure of
public access to any land owned or operated by the office of parks,
recreation and historic preservation

PURPOSE OF THE BILL:
The bill would require the conduct of public
hearings and reports thereon prior to the closure of any real
property by OPRHP.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The bill would add a new Section 13.14 of the
Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law to require the agency
to prepare a draft report that provides justification and the
rationale for the closure of public access of any real property owned
or operations by OPRHP, at least six months prior to a proposed
closure of such lands.
The bill specifies the elements of the report, which must be subject
to one of more public hearings at least 4 months prior to such
proposed closure, with at least one public hearing in the impacted
area. OPRHP must issue a final report that includes a response to all
issues raised at the hearings; the report must be publicly available
and submitted to the Governor and the Legislature.

JUSTIFICATION:
If OPRHP proposes to close to the public any park,
historic preservation site, bird conservation area or other facility
under its jurisdiction, the agency should be required to evaluate and
support such proposed closure and its impact on the public. Public
review and public hearings will offer the opportunity for public
scrutiny of such proposals, and if a proposed closure is not
adequately supported by the agency, it should not go forward.
Providing this information to the Governor and the Legislature will
allow them to responds to such actions as well. Protection of our
priceless natural and public recreation resources is paramount.
Closures can result in vandalism, deterioration of the infrastructure
and other damage that would go undetected and not corrected. The
State has a significant investment in the State park system that must
be protected for the benefit of all of the citizens of NYS.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-2010: A.10452 DelMonte, Passed Assembly unanimously. Senate -
Died in Finance

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
There would be
costs associated with the preparation of the report and conduct of
one or more public hearings.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect immediately.

S1918-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    1918

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 14, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen. SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism,
    Parks and Recreation

  AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law,  in
    relation  to  requiring an evaluation of the impacts of the closure of
    public access to any land owned or operated by the  office  of  parks,
    recreation and historic preservation

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. The parks, recreation  and  historic  preservation  law  is
  amended by adding a new section 13.14 to read as follows:

    S 13.14 CLOSURE OF LANDS OWNED, HELD OR ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE. 1.
  NOT LESS THAN SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO
  ANY REAL PROPERTY OWNED, HELD OR ADMINISTERED BY THE OFFICE, THE COMMIS-
  SIONER  SHALL  ISSUE  A DRAFT REPORT THAT PROVIDES THE JUSTIFICATION AND
  RATIONAL FOR SUCH CLOSURE INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

    (A) A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE REAL PROPERTY;
    (B) THE PURPOSES THAT THE REAL PROPERTY SERVES TO THE  PEOPLE  OF  THE
  STATE;
    (C)  A  COMPARISON OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLOSURE VERSUS CONTINUED
  OPERATION OF SUCH REAL PROPERTY TO THE STATE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND  THE
  PUBLIC;
    (D)  AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  POTENTIAL  HARM TO SUCH REAL PROPERTY FROM
  VANDALISM, LACK OF MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE, AND  OTHER  IMPACTS  FROM
  THE LACK OF REGULAR OVERSIGHT BY THE OFFICE;
    (E)  THE  IMPACT  OF SUCH PROPOSED CLOSURE ON THE ENTIRE REAL PROPERTY
  SYSTEM OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE OFFICE; AND
    (F) SUCH OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE  PARTICULARLY  RELEVANT  TO  THE  REAL
  PROPERTY AND ITS FUNCTION AS STATE LAND.
    2.  NOT  LESS  THAN  FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF PUBLIC
  ACCESS TO SUCH REAL PROPERTY,  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PROVIDE  PUBLIC

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD00402-01-1

 S. 1918                             2

  NOTICE  OF AND CONDUCT ONE OR MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS, INCLUDING ONE IN THE
  IMPACTED AREA OF THE PROPOSED CLOSURE. NOTICE OF ANY SUCH HEARING  SHALL
  BE  ON  A  STATEWIDE  BASIS,  INCLUDING PUBLICATION IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL
  NOTICE BULLETIN.  EACH PUBLIC HEARING SHALL ACCEPT WRITTEN STATEMENTS IN
  LIEU OF AN ORAL PRESENTATION.
    3.  UPON  CONCLUSION  OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON A CLOSURE, THE COMMIS-
  SIONER SHALL ISSUE A FINAL REPORT WHICH INCLUDES  THE  RESPONSE  ON  ALL
  ISSUES  RAISED  AT THE HEARINGS AND INFORMATION ENTERED INTO THE HEARING
  RECORD.  SUCH FINAL REPORT SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE  AND  DISTRIBUTED  TO
  THE PUBLIC.
    4.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ISSUE AND SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE
  LEGISLATURE A FINDINGS STATEMENT ON EACH PROPOSED CLOSURE THAT  PROVIDES
  THE  JUSTIFICATION FOR SUCH CLOSURE OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, THE INFORMA-
  TION THAT SUPPORTS THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE REAL PROPERTY.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.