Senate Bill No. 294, also known as File No. 252, is a legislative proposal that seeks to expand the requirements for municipalities when they take, convert, or repurpose land that was originally acquired for park, recreational, or open space purposes. The bill mandates that if a municipality undertakes such actions for non-park or non-open space purposes, such as for highways, it must provide comparable replacement land that is at least equal in value and size to the land being taken, converted, or repurposed. This requirement is an addition to the existing law, which only covered land purchased for such purposes. The bill also stipulates that before taking such actions, the municipality must hold a public hearing, with adequate notice given to the public, where it must detail the land description, the proposed use, the reasons for the action, and the description of the replacement land.

The bill's fiscal impact statement indicates that there is no state impact, but the municipal impact will depend on the specific actions taken by municipalities regarding land conversion or repurposing and the provision of comparable replacement land. The bill is effective upon passage and amends Section 1 7-131n of the general statutes. The bill analysis clarifies that the expansion applies to situations where a municipality converts or repurposes land already in its possession or land that was acquired rather than just purchased. The bill responds to recent court cases that interpreted the existing law as not applying to municipalities repurposing or transferring land they already own. The Environment Committee has given a Joint Favorable recommendation for the bill with a vote of 28 Yea to 6 Nay on March 20, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 7-131n
ENV Joint Favorable: 7-131n
File No. 252: 7-131n