What's happening
This bill allows Greenburgh to lease parkland for 25 years for a solar facility and EV chargers.
Why it matters
Creates a pathway for renewable energy infrastructure on public land. By allowing a long-term lease for a solar facility and EV charging stations, the bill enables Greenburgh to contribute to clean energy goals and expand local renewable energy access.
Ensures benefits to public recreation. All proceeds from leasing the parkland must be used to acquire new parklands or improve existing recreational facilities, aiming to offset the temporary loss of green space for the community.
Contains safeguards for public use. If the leased land stops being used for solar/EV purposes, the lease ends and the land must be restored for public park use, ensuring the shift is not permanent and the community retains long-term access.
Requires compliance with federal protections. If the parkland has received federal support, the bill mandates that Greenburgh meet all federal requirements for parkland conversion, including providing equally valuable replacement land, protecting federal investment in public spaces.
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Who cares
Town of Greenburgh Residents
Local citizens who use the parkland for recreation or value green space will care about the reduction in public park area and the potential benefits of solar energy infrastructure.
HESP Solar LLC and Renewable Energy Advocates
The company named in the bill, along with supporters of clean energy, will care about the opportunity to develop a solar facility and EV charging stations on public land.
Parks and Environmental Organizations
Groups focused on park preservation, environmental protection, or land use policy will care about the precedent set by converting parkland for non-park purposes and the requirements for compensatory park improvements.
Local Government and Taxpayers
Town officials and taxpayers will care about the financial and legal implications of leasing public land, the potential revenue generated, and the stipulations regarding federal funding and land reversion.
Headline styles
Allow Parkland Lease for Solar
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.290
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Home rule request
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.527
- Substituted for A11533
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
- Home rule request
- Ordered to third reading cal.1773
Show 2 earlier actions
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to local government
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Allow Parkland for Solar Lease
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor MaryJane Shimsky
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
10611
IN SENATE
May 29, 2026
Introduced by Sen. STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT authorizing the town of Greenburgh, county of Westchester, to alienate and discontinue the use of certain parkland
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subject to the provisions of this act, the town of Greenburgh, county of Westchester, acting by and through its governing body and upon such terms and conditions as determined by such body, is hereby authorized to discontinue as parklands and lease at fair market value to HESP Solar LLC for a term not to exceed twenty-five years the lands more particularly described in section three of this act for the purpose of constructing a solar facility and electric vehicle charging stations.
§ 2. All proceeds from alienation and lease of the parklands authorized by section one of this act shall be used for acquisition of new parklands and/or towards capital improvements to existing park and recreational facilities.
§ 3. The parklands authorized by section one of this act to be discontinued as parklands and leased are described as follows: ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, situate, lying and being in the Town of Greenburgh, County of Westchester and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:
BEGINNING at a point which is the following courses and distances from the most northerly corner of land designated as Parcel 2 on a certain map entitled "Subdivision plat prepared for Richard Greenspan" dated Oct. 3, 2002 and filed in the Office of the County Clerk of Westchester County, Division of land Records, formerly Office of the Register of Westchester County, on Oct. 24, 2005 as Map No.27654, North 49°20'10" East 551.65 feet and North 17° 14' 40" East 45.35 feet to a point on the southerly line of the hereby described parcel;
RUNNING THENCE from said point along the southerly line of the hereby described parcel North 69°26'00" West 28.74 feet to the point and place of beginning of the hereby described parcel:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15997-02-6
RUNNING THENCE from said point of beginning along the perimeter lines of the hereby described parcel, the following courses and distances:
North 20° 34' 00" East 90.00 feet,
North 73° 11' 00" West 302.00 feet,
North 15° 37' 15" East 80.00 feet,
North 38° 48' 12" East 231.00 feet,
South 73°11' 00" East 565.00 feet,
South 16° 49' 00" West 194.00 feet,
North 73° 11" 00" West 225.00 feet,
South 20° 34' 00" West 198.00 feet and
North 69° 26' 00" West 116.00 feet to the point and PLACE OF BEGIN- NING.
Calculated Area: 170,337 Sq. Ft. / 3.9104 Acres
§ 4. Should the lands described in section three of this act cease to be used for the purposes described in section one of this act, the lease shall terminate and those lands shall revert to the town of Greenburgh for public park and recreational purposes. At the time of such reversion, the removal of any solar facilities and electric charging stations shall take place and the property shall be returned to its previous state, consistent with park and recreation purposes.
§ 5. In the event that the town of Greenburgh 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 alienation of such parkland authorized by the provisions of this act shall not occur until the town of Greenburgh has complied with any federal requirements pertaining to the alienation or conversion of parklands, including satisfying the secretary of the interior that the alienation or conversion complies with all conditions which the secretary of the interior deems necessary to assure the substitution of other lands shall be equivalent in fair market value and usefulness to the lands being alienated or converted.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act authorizing the town of Greenburgh, county of Westchester, to alienate and discontinue the use of certain parkland
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Town of Greenburgh to lease a parking lot located in Anthony F. Veteran Park to HESP Solar LLC, allowing HESP Solar LLC to install solar canopies and electric vehicle charging stations for municipal and public use.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill authorizes the Town of Greenburgh to lease a specific piece of its parkland to HESP Solar LLC for no more than twen- ty-five years for the construction of a solar facility and electric vehicle charging stations.
Section 2 states that any proceeds the Town of Greenburgh receives from the leasing of its parkland to HESP Solar LLC must be used either to create new parkland within the Town or to improve existing park and recreation facilities within the Town.
Section 3 outlines the exact area of parkland that the Town of Green- burgh will lease to HESP Solar LLC.
Section 4 states that if the parkland outlined in Section 3 is no longer used as a solar facility and electric vehicle charging stations, the lease between the Town of Greenburgh and HESP Solar LLC will be termi- nated and use of the land will revert back to the Town of Greenburgh.
Section 5 states that if the Town of Greenburgh has ever used federal funding or assistance to purchase, maintain, or improve the parkland outlined in Section 3, the Town of Greenburgh must comply with all federal parkland alienation requirements before it can lease the park- land to HESP Solar LLC.
Section 6 is the effective date.
Justification
The Town of Greenburgh intends to install solar canopies and, potential- ly, electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot of Anthony F. Veteran Park. This project will allow the Town to generate renewable energy in an area that currently only serves as parking space, and the project is aligned with the Town and New York State's goals for energy conservation and sustainability. Once the project is complete, the installations will provide the Town, its residents, and its visitors with additional services with no net reduction in the number of parking spaces offered in Anthony F. Veteran Park.
To install the solar canopies and charging stations, the Town will lease the land containing the parking lot to HESP Solar LLC for no more than twenty-five years. In order for the Town to lease this parkland, the Legislature must first pass legislation permitting the alienation of this parkland. If the Town decides to remove the solar canopies and charging stations from the specified parking lot before the end of its lease with HESP Solar LLC, then the lease will terminate and the parking lot must be returned to its original state.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.