Authorizes and validates the alienation of certain parkland in the town of Kinderhook in the county of Columbia

BILL NUMBER:S4994B

Title of bill

An act authorizing and validating the alienation of certain parkland in the town of Kinderhook in the county of Columbia

Purpose

To alienate what was the old Town Park in the Town of Kinderhook.

Summary of provisions

Section one authorizes the discontinuance of certain parkland for its fair market value and upon such terms and conditions as determined by the Town of Kinderhook.

Section two authorizes the town board of Kinderhook to discontinue the parkland on the condition that the town shall dedicate the fair market value of such lands for the acquisition of additional parkland and/or make capital improvements to existing park facilities.

Section three is the legal description of the parkland.

Section four states that in the event that the Town of Kinderhook received any funding, support or assistance from the federal government for the purchase, maintenance or improvement of the parklands set forth in section three of this act, the discontinuance and conveyance of parkland authorized by the provisions of this act shall not occur until the town has complied with any federal requirements pertaining to the alienation of conversion of parklands, including satisfying the secretary of the interior that the alienation or conversion complies with all conditions which the secretary deems necessary to assure the substitution of other lands shall be equivalent in fair market value and recreational usefulness to the lands being alienated or converted.

Section five states the effective date.

Justification

In 1983, the Ichabod Crane School District conveyed the old Niverville School House parking lot and playground area to the Town of Kinderhook for use as a Town Hall, Town Court and playground area. 4.57 acres of this land was delineated as the Town Park. Recently the Town of Kinderhook relocated their Town Hall and Town Court to a new Municipal Center it owns jointly with the Village of Valatie. The Town also acquired a large tract of land where it has developed a new Town Park that is home to Town sponsored recreational programs and is used as a public town park by the residents of the Town of Kinderhook. The old Town Park is no longer used as a park and is now surplus property. It is no longer necessary or desired by the local residents as there have been complaints of noise, crime and loitering there. The Town desires to sell this land to a private individual. The sale of this property will not impair impact or otherwise limit the recreational activities available to residents as the Town has relocated to a larger, more modern Town Park complex. The Town will use the proceeds from the

sale for the acquisition of additional parkland and/or to make capital improvements to existing park facilities.

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

90 days after it shall become law.