Bill Text: NY A07562 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Requires the development, adoption and implementation of a master plan for the Nissequogue River State Park.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Vetoed) 2019-12-20 - VETOED MEMO.260 [A07562 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A07562-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         7562--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                       May 9, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. ENGLEBRIGHT, O'DONNELL, FITZPATRICK -- read once
          and referred to the Committee  on  Tourism,  Parks,  Arts  and  Sports
          Development  --  reported  and  referred  to the Committee on Ways and
          Means -- committee discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered  reprinted  as
          amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT  requiring  the  development,  adoption  and implementation of a
          master plan for the Nissequogue River State Park

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.    Legislative  intent. The legislature finds and declares
     2  that Kings Park in the town of Smithtown is home to a  large  parcel  of
     3  land  commonly  referred  to  as the Kings Park Psychiatric Center ("the
     4  center"). The center was closed in 1996, and in 2001, 155 acres  of  the
     5  center  were designated state parkland, thereby creating the Nissequogue
     6  River State Park ("NRSP"). In 2006, an additional 364.68  acres  of  the
     7  center's  property  was  administratively transferred by and between the
     8  office of general services, the department of mental  hygiene,  and  the
     9  office of parks, recreation and historic preservation.
    10    The  legislature  further finds and declares that the initial 2001 and
    11  subsequent 2006 administrative  actions  taken  to  establish  and  then
    12  expand the center's property into the eventual NRSP is fully dispositive
    13  of  the  will of the community and of local and state elected officials,
    14  while others believe that a statutory codification is preferable.
    15    The legislature therefore finds and declares that this legislation  is
    16  needed  to:  (a)  codify  and ensure that the 2001 and 2006 transfers of
    17  land from the center to establish the NRSP are protected  from  adminis-
    18  trative changes; and (2) develop a master plan for the NRSP.
    19    §  2. (a) For purposes of this section, "Nissequogue River State Park"
    20  shall mean the 155-acre portion of the  former  Kings  Park  Psychiatric
    21  Center  property  closed  in 1996 and then transferred into the New York
    22  state park system in 2001, along with the 364.68 acres of former  hospi-

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11501-02-9
        A. 7562--A                          2

     1  tal  property  administratively transferred by an order of the office of
     2  general services, dated December 29, 2006 entitled, "In  the  Matter  of
     3  the  Application of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preser-
     4  vation  for  a  transfer of jurisdiction of certain lands located in the
     5  Town of Smithtown, County of Suffolk".
     6    (b) The commissioner of the office of parks, recreation  and  historic
     7  preservation  (OPRHP),  in  cooperation with the Nissequogue River State
     8  Park Foundation and other interested parties, including but not  limited
     9  to  the  town  of Smithtown, shall develop, adopt and implement a master
    10  plan for the  Nissequogue  River  State  Park,  Kings  Park,  county  of
    11  Suffolk.
    12    (c)  The  master  plan  shall  take  into  consideration the historic,
    13  natural and recreational resources of the park  and  respond  to  recre-
    14  ational  needs  and  safety  of  park  patrons,  the  protection  of the
    15  resources of the park and principles of sustainability. The master  plan
    16  shall  include  short- and long-term agendas to guide future development
    17  of new and enhanced park facilities and shall establish goals concerning
    18  individual park resources, access, maintenance, operations and  develop-
    19  ment.
    20    (d)  The  plan  shall present a series of "preferred alternatives" for
    21  the future development and operation  of  the  Nissequogue  River  State
    22  Park; provided that the initiation of any specific action will be deter-
    23  mined by the level of funding available to OPRHP in future years.
    24    (e)  The  commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic
    25  preservation shall hold such public meetings to gather information  from
    26  the general public and other state, local and federal agencies about the
    27  past  uses  and  issues associated with future uses of the park as he or
    28  she deems necessary and/or desirable.
    29    (f) The development of such plan shall commence within sixty  days  of
    30  the  effective  date  of this act and the plan shall be completed within
    31  one year thereafter.
    32    (g) Details of the plan shall be made available to the public  on  the
    33  website of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation and
    34  on the Nissequogue River State Park website.
    35    § 3. The plan shall include an environmental impact statement prepared
    36  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of article 8 of the environmental
    37  conservation law.
    38    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.