NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5615
SPONSOR: Zinerman TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to authorizing the conveyance of certain property by
the city of New York to the Bedford-Stuyvesant volunteer ambulance
corps, Inc.
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The bill enacts a conveyance of 727 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn, to the
Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BSVAC), the country's
first minority run and multicultural volunteer ambulance Corps.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The Bill identifies the party, generally describes the lot to be
conveyed, and sets out the justification for the conveyance. Section
4(a) and (b) sets out the conditions for which BSVAC may hold the land;
that is, for the purposes of operating, maintaining, and sustaining the
volunteer ambulance corps, including the construction of a permanent
facility, and for the continued provision of any reasonably related
services.
JUSTIFICATION:
BSVAC has been a neighborhood institution serving the residents of
Bedford Stuyvesant since 1988. Their work has included training resi-
dents and the youth in emergency medical care, CPR, and first aid. BSVAC
has also trained local residents for full-time positions in the medical
field.
The organization has received several awards for their service to the
community, and their achievements have been well-documented. Prior to
BSVAC's founding, ambulance response time in Bedford-Stuyvesant averaged
thirty (30) minutes. BSVAC was able to reduce that response time to less
than four (4) minutes. Despite this history of service to a community
disproportionately affected by trauma and underserved, BSVAC, despite
its many efforts over the years, has not been able to attain title to
the land they have leased from the city of New York. They presently
operate out of temporary trailers.
This Bill would, pursuant to a Home Rule Request, effect the conveyance
of land with the attendant condition that the land be used only for
activities that would support and sustain volunteer ambulance services.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: A5037 (Zinerman) Died in Committee
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None, except for costs borne by the city of New York to effect the
conveyance of the land, and any lost income from otherwise leasing the
land to BSVAC.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5615
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 18, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ZINERMAN, WALKER, GIBBS, WILLIAMS, BORES, VANEL,
CUNNINGHAM, ZACCARO, JONES, BROOK-KRASNY, LEVENBERG, CHANDLER-WATER-
MAN, MEEKS, SIMON, TAYLOR, KELLES, RAGA, GRAY -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Cities
AN ACT in relation to authorizing the conveyance of certain property by
the city of New York to the Bedford-Stuyvesant volunteer ambulance
corps, 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, but notwithstanding
2 any other provision of law to the contrary, the city of New York is
3 hereby authorized to transfer and convey to the Bedford-Stuyvesant
4 volunteer ambulance corps, Inc. (BSVAC), at no cost to BSVAC, the land
5 owned and leased continuously to BSVAC since 1989 by the city of New
6 York, at 727 Greene Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, and further described in
7 section two of this act for the purpose of enabling BSVAC to establish a
8 permanent facility to support the continued provision of emergency
9 medical care and ambulance services, as well as training in emergency
10 medical skills, to the Bedford-Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn. This
11 conveyance is in recognition of BSVAC's long-standing service to the
12 Bedford-Stuyvesant community.
13 § 2. The lands authorized by section one of this act to be transferred
14 and conveyed are designated as Block 1614, Lot #1, Lot #79 and Lot #80
15 on the real property tax map of the city of New York for the borough of
16 Brooklyn.
17 § 3. The description in section two of this act is not intended to be
18 a legal description, and is intended to identify the parcel conveyed. As
19 a condition of the transfer, BSVAC may elect, but shall not be required,
20 to submit to the city of New York, for its approval, an accurate survey
21 and description of the lands to be conveyed, which may be used in the
22 conveyance thereof.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09163-01-5
A. 5615 2
1 § 4. The transfer and conveyance made pursuant to this act shall be
2 subject to the following use restrictions and reverter:
3 (a) The land described in this act shall be used primarily for the
4 purposes of operating and maintaining a volunteer ambulance service, and
5 for providing any services reasonably related and essential for such
6 purposes, establishing a permanent facility for the provision of
7 services, and for any additional purposes that would support the long-
8 term sustainability of BSVAC.
9 (b) The conveyance of the land described in this act shall contain a
10 covenant and restriction requiring that the land be used for the
11 purposes set forth in subdivision (a) of this section. In the event the
12 premises are not accepted and/or used for such purposes, ownership of
13 the land shall revert to the city of New York.
14 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
