Authorizes the county of Cortland to transfer ownership of Linear Park to Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc.; provides that such lands shall revert to the county of Cortland if they cease to be used for the agreed upon purpose; provides that such park shall continue to be made available to the general public of the state of New York.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A11337
SPONSOR: Rules (Kelles) TITLE OF BILL:
An act authorizing the county of Cortland to transfer ownership of Line-
ar Park to Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc.
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
to alienate a parcel of land that is a trail and transfer ownership to a
nonprofit which will continue to maintain it as accessible to the public
for recreational purposes
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Sec. 1- Authorizes Cortland county to convey the linear park described
in section 3 and transfer ownership to Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc.
for park and recreational purposes;
Sec. 2 - Conditions the transfer on Cortland county dedicating an amount
equal to or greater than fair market value of the parcel being trans-
ferred towards acquisition of new parklands and/or capital improvements
to existing park and recreational facilities;
Sec. 3 - Describes the parcel;
Sec. 4 - Provides that should the parcel cease to be used for the
purposes described in section 1, ownership shall revert to Cortland
county for park and recreational purposes;
Sec. 5 - Provides that all structures and facilities on the parcel are
to be maintained, owned and operated for park purposes by Lime Hollow
Nature Center, Inc.
Sec. 6 - Provides that the use of such parkland and facilities being
transferred shall continue to be available to the general public;
Sec. 7 - Provides that if Cortland county received any federal funding
for the purchase, maintenance or improvement of the parcel, the parkland
alienation shall not occur until the County has complied with any feder-
al requirements pertaining to the alienation or conversion of parklands;
Sec. 8 - Effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Cortland county acknowledges the vital role that public parks, such as
this linear park, play in enhancing the quality of life for its resi-
dents and providing recreational opportunities for families and individ-
uals alike. The County has determined that there is an opportunity to
explore the transfer ownership of linear park in a manner that aligns
with the County's strategic goals for economic development and community
engagement. In accordance with state law, the parkland alienation proc-
ess is necessary to ensure that the transfer of ownership of this park-
land is conducted transparently and in compliance with all legal
requirements, thereby protecting the interests of the community, while
preserving public access and the ongoing enjoyment of the park by resi-
dents. Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc. owns property on either side of
this parcel, and has maintained the trail for decades for public use. At
the request of Cortland county, this bill authorizes the transfer of
ownership of a parcel of land with a trail to Lime Hollow Nature Center
Inc..
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
none
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
none
EFFECTIVE DATE:
immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
11337
IN ASSEMBLY
May 11, 2026
___________
Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Kelles) --
read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT authorizing the county of Cortland to transfer ownership of Line-
ar Park to Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subject to the provisions of this act, the county of Cort-
2 land, acting through its governing body is hereby authorized to discon-
3 tinue the use of Linear Park more particularly described in section
4 three of this act, and to convey its interest in the real property to
5 Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc. upon terms agreed upon by the county of
6 Cortland for use by Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc. for park and/or
7 recreational purposes.
8 § 2. The authorization provided in section one of this act shall be
9 effective only upon the condition that the county of Cortland dedicate
10 an amount equal to or greater than the fair market value of the park-
11 lands being discontinued towards the acquisition of new parklands and/or
12 capital improvements to existing park and recreational facilities.
13 § 3. The parklands authorized to be conveyed by the county of Cortland
14 in section one of this act are located, bounded and described as
15 follows:
16 ALL those certain pieces or parcels of land constituting the right of
17 way and lands of the Branch Line of Railroad known as the Elmira, Cort-
18 land and Northern Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company situate
19 in the Town of Cortlandville, County of Cortland and State of New York,
20 beginning at a line marking the division of the Town of Groton, Tompkins
21 County and the Town of Cortlandville, Cortland County at Chaining
22 Station 3417+60, and extending generally easterly through said Town of
23 Cortlandville to a point of ending marking the westerly line of a parcel
24 of land containing seven hundred and fifty-five thousandths (0.755) of
25 an acre, more or less, conveyed by Robert C. Haldeman, Trustee of the
26 Property of Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, Debtor, to Cortland Wood
27 Products, Inc. by deed dated September 28, 1978; said point of ending
28 having a bearing of North two degrees thirty-eight minutes twenty-nine
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15677-02-6
A. 11337 2
1 seconds West (N 2° 38'29" W), a distance of ninety-nine and twenty-eight
2 hundredths (99.28) feet, more or less.
3 The area of land intended to be conveyed is twenty-one and four
4 hundred seventeen thousandths (21.417) acres, more or less.
5 § 4. Should the lands described in section three of this act cease to
6 be used for the purposes described in section one of this act, those
7 lands shall revert to the county of Cortland for public park and recre-
8 ational purposes.
9 § 5. The land to be transferred pursuant to this act and all struc-
10 tures and facilities situated on such land shall be maintained, owned
11 and operated for park purposes by the Lime Hollow Nature Center, Inc.
12 § 6. The use of such parkland and facilities to be transferred pursu-
13 ant to this act shall continue to be made available to the general
14 public of the state of New York, including all residents of the county
15 of Cortland. Where the availability of such facilities is limited, use
16 of such facilities must be determined by an equitable method.
17 § 7. In the event that the county of Cortland received any funding
18 support or assistance from the federal government for the purchase,
19 maintenance or improvement of the parklands set forth in section three
20 of this act, the discontinuance and alienation of such parkland author-
21 ized by the provisions of this act shall not occur until the county of
22 Cortland has complied with any federal requirements pertaining to the
23 alienation or conversion of parklands, including satisfying the secre-
24 tary of the interior that the alienation or conversion complies with all
25 conditions which the secretary of the interior deems necessary to assure
26 the substitution of other lands shall be equivalent in fair market value
27 and usefulness to the lands being alienated or converted.
28 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately.
