Senate Bill No. 294, also known as File No. 252, is a legislative proposal concerning the taking of municipal park lands by municipalities. The bill amends Section 7-131n of the general statutes by expanding the conditions under which municipalities must provide comparable replacement land when they take, convert, or repurpose land for non-park or non-open space purposes. The new legal language inserted into the current law specifies that if a municipality takes, converts, or repurposes any land, including land already in its possession, for highway or other non-park or non-open space purposes, the municipality must provide replacement land of equal value and size. Additionally, the bill requires a public hearing with proper notice before such actions are taken, where the municipality must describe the land, the proposed use, the reasons for the action, and the replacement land to be provided.

The bill's fiscal impact statement indicates that there is no state impact, but the municipal impact will vary depending on the actions taken by municipalities regarding land conversion or repurposing and the provision of replacement land. The bill analysis clarifies that the requirement to replace land applies not only to land purchased but also to land acquired by the municipality. The bill also addresses recent court cases that have interpreted the existing law as not applying to situations where a municipality repurposes or transfers land it already owns. The bill is effective upon passage and has received a Joint Favorable report from the Environment Committee 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