[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Red Hook 2-14-2023 by L.L. No. 3-2023. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
The State of New York, by various legislative enactments, including but not limited to General Municipal Law § 247 and Environmental Conservation Law § 49-0301 et seq., has emphatically stated it to be a most important state policy to provide for open space and to conserve, protect and encourage the improvement of agricultural lands, both for production of food and the preservation of such lands as valued natural and ecological resources. The Legislature has determined that the acquisition of open spaces and areas is a valid public purpose and that the expenditure of Town funds to acquire legal interests and rights in such lands is in furtherance of such policy and is a proper expenditure of public funds for public purposes.
B. 
It is the purpose of this chapter to provide for the preservation of open space and areas which shall constitute a public purpose for which public funds may be expended or advanced after due notice and a public hearing, by which the Town of Red Hook may acquire a fee interest, easement, covenant or other contractual right necessary to preserve "open space" as the same is defined in § 58-2 herein. Any eligible parcel, as hereinafter defined, must be i) suitable for further development so that the acquisition of rights by the Town provides a benefit to the Town, or ii) suitable for future public recreational use as determined by the Town. The Town believes that the preservation of parcels of land containing open space and subsequent alienation of rights in such parcels throughout the Town will preserve the aesthetic natural beauty and ecological natural resources and that same constitutes a valid public purpose.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CONSERVATION EASEMENT
An easement, covenant, restriction or other interest in real property created under the provisions of § 247 of the General Municipal Law and/or the provisions of §§ 49-0301 through 49-0311 of the Environmental Conservation Law, which limits or restricts development, management or use of such real property for the purpose of preserving or maintaining the agricultural, scenic, open, historic, archaeological, architectural or natural condition, character, significance or amenities of the real property.
INTEREST
The fee or any lesser interest, including development right, easement, covenant or contractual right, which achieves the open space purposes of § 247 of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, to land within the Town of Red Hook.
OPEN SPACE or OPEN AREA
Any space or area characterized by natural scenic beauty or whose existing openness, natural condition or present state of use, if retained, would enhance the present or potential value of abutting or surrounding development or would maintain or enhance the conservation of natural or scenic resources. For the purposes of this section, natural resources shall include, but not be limited to, agricultural lands defined as open land actually used in bona fide agricultural production.
A. 
No interests or rights in real property shall be acquired pursuant to this chapter until a public hearing is held on not less than 10 days' notice. However, nothing herein shall prevent the Town Board from entering into a conditional purchase agreement before a public hearing is held.
B. 
Any resolution of the Town Board approving an acquisition of land pursuant to this chapter shall include a finding that it would be beneficial for the Town's purposes that all or a portion of the property so acquired be made subject to a conservation easement, that such acquisition was the best alternative for the protection of such lands available for the Town, and that such acquisition was in furtherance of goals for the preservation of open space.
A. 
The Town Board may purchase real property including any interest or right therein that is deemed to be threatened by development, in order to protect a critical mass of farmland and/or open space. The Town shall include in its findings at the time of acquisition the purpose of such acquisition, any portion of the real property interests to be dedicated for park purposes, the portion of the real property interest proposed to be reconveyed, and the period of time not to exceed three years during which the portion of the interest to be reconveyed may be held.
B. 
No real property interests acquired pursuant to this chapter shall be alienated, except by resolution of the Town Board and, except to the extent otherwise provided by law for a purpose specified in the resolution, subject to permissive referendum pursuant to the procedures found in Article 7 of the Town Law.
C. 
At the time of conveying any of such real property, the Town Board shall determine the portion of such real property to be conveyed subject to the grant or reservation of a conservation easement in order to fulfill the open space or open area preservation purposes for which such property was acquired. Nothing herein shall prevent the Town Board from entering into a conditional agreement to convey such rights.