BILL NUMBER: S6295A

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to create a moratorium on the annexation of
agricultural land by certain localities for an industrial use

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To stop municipalities from annexing farm land and then using it for an
industrial purpose

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Any town that is within a county with a population of 55,000
or less that has completed an agricultural and farmland protection plan
pursuant to section 324 of the Agriculture and Markets Law prior to the
effective date of this act, may impose a moratorium, not to exceed one
year, on the annexation of agricultural land greater than two hundred
acres for an industrial use, to allow for the development of an updated
agricultural and farmland protection plan.

              

Section 2: Effective date

 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):

N/A

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Industrial park projects that include annexation of productive farmland
from our rural communities continue to rob our state of a prime
resource. Many entities oppose this type of annexation of farmland and
for good reason.

There are significant concerns about the future impact of proposals such
as this that expose surrounding residents to significant health hazards
by putting neighboring wells supplying water to nearby homes at risk.
Local residents and neighboring towns are concerned that their property
values and quality of life will decline if the-land is annexed aid used
for industrial purposes.

Action must be taken to allow time for further consideration of
proposals like this in the rural areas of our state that are robbing
communities of some of the richest farmland in the Eastern United
States. Taking productive farmland and forest and converting it to
industrial land gives decision makers a false reason for bad decision-
making.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.