LBD08319-01-7
S. 6249 2
MILE RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT SITE IN QUESTION AND (E) COMMUNITY
BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PRINCIPALLY BASED IN THE CATCHMENT AREA THAT
IS CONCURRENT WITH THE PROPOSED PROJECT SITE IN QUESTION. THE TERM
"DIRECT AND PROACTIVE CONSULTATION" SHALL MEAN THE FOLLOWING: THE CORPO-
RATION AND COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES SHALL REACH OUT TO ALL SPECIF-
ICALLY AFFECTED PARTIES WHEN THE PROJECT IS BEING CONTEMPLATED, DEVEL-
OPED AND PROPOSED AND AT EACH SUBSEQUENT STAGE OF SUCH PROPOSED PROJECT
VIA: FIRST CLASS MAIL, E-MAIL AND PHONE, WHERE PRACTICABLE; FURTHER, AT
EACH STAGE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IN QUESTION IN PERSON COMMUNITY PLAN-
NING MEETINGS MUST BE HELD WITH ALL CURRENT TENANTS OF THE SITE IN QUES-
TION, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIARIES CHARGED WITH
LAND USE/ZONING REVIEW DUTIES. SUCH COMMUNITY PLANNING MEETINGS, AT A
MINIMUM, MUST PROVIDE EACH PARTY WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROPOSE AFFIRMA-
TIVE, MODIFIED OR ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PLANS THAN THOSE CURRENTLY UNDER
CONSIDERATION. IN ADDITION, COMPLEMENTARY CONSULTATION STEPS MUST ALSO
BE TAKEN TO REACH THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, WITHOUT LIMI-
TATION: DISTRIBUTING FLYERS THAT DESCRIBE THE PROPOSED PROJECT IN THE
AFFECTED AREA, ERECTING LARGE SIGNAGE CONTAINING PROJECT DETAILS AT THE
PROPOSED PROJECT SITE IN QUESTION, ATTENDING AND SPEAKING AT COMMUNITY
MEETINGS WHERE APPROPRIATE AND TAKING OUT FULL PAGE ADVERTISEMENTS IN NO
LESS THAN TWO LOCAL PAPERS THAT ARE LIKELY TO REACH THE AFFECTED
PARTIES. The corporation shall give primary consideration to local
needs and desires and shall foster local initiative and participation in
connection with the planning and development of its projects AT ALL
STAGES. Wherever possible, activities of the corporation shall be coor-
dinated with local urban renewal and other community projects, and the
corporation shall assist localities in carrying out such projects.
Consideration shall also be given to local and regional goals and poli-
cies as expressed in urban renewal, community renewal and local compre-
hensive land use plans and regional plans.
(2) Except with respect to a project consisting in whole or in part of
real property acquired by the corporation pursuant to section fourteen
of this act, before commencing the acquisition, construction, recon-
struction, rehabilitation, alteration or improvement of any project: (a)
upon adoption of the general project plan, the corporation shall file a
copy of such plan, including the findings required pursuant to section
ten of this act, in its corporate offices and in the office of the clerk
of any municipality in which the project is to be located, AS WELL AS
WITH ALL "SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED PARTIES" AS DEFINED ABOVE. Upon
request, any other person shall be furnished with a digest of such plan;
(b) pursuant to authorization from the chief executive officer of the
corporation, which authorization may be given prior to the adoption of
such plan by the corporation, the corporation shall: (i) publish in [one
newspaper] TWO NEWSPAPERS of general circulation within the munici-
pality, (ii) provide to the chief executive officer of the municipality
within which the project is located, and (iii) in any city having a
population of one million or more, [provide to] ENGAGE IN DIRECT AND
PROACTIVE CONSULTATION, AS DEFINED ABOVE, WITH ALL SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED
PARTIES, INCLUDING any community board in which the project will be
located, INCLUDING BY PROVIDING a notice that such plan will be filed
upon its adoption by the corporation and that digests thereof will be
available, which notice shall also state that a public hearing will be
held to consider the plan at a specified time and place on a date not
less than [ten] SEVENTY days after such publication; THE SEVENTY DAY
PERIOD WILL COMMENCE WHEN THE COMMUNITY BOARDS, AFFECTED TENANTS AND
ELECTED OFFICIALS ALL CONFIRM WITH THE CORPORATION THAT THEY HAVE
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RECEIVED NOTICE; (c) the corporation shall conduct a public hearing
pursuant to such notice, AND SHALL ENGAGE IN DIRECT AND PROACTIVE
CONSULTATION WITH "SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED PARTIES" FOR THE FULL SEVENTY
DAY PERIOD TO ENSURE MAXIMUM PARTICIPATION AT SUCH HEARING; provided
that such public hearing shall not take place before the adoption or the
filing of such plan by the corporation; (d) [upon] ALL TESTIMONY
RECEIVED AT THE HEARING, WHETHER WRITTEN OR DELIVERED ORALLY AND INCLUD-
ING WRITTEN TESTIMONY SUBMITTED FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY DAYS AFTER SUCH
HEARING SHALL BE REVIEWED AND ACTED ON BY THE CORPORATION. THE CORPO-
RATION SHALL RESPOND TO EACH SUBSTANTIVE COMMENT IN WRITING, INCLUDING
ALL SUBSTANTIVE NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND SHALL SHARE SUCH RESPONSE DOCUMENT
WITH ALL "SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED PARTIES". IF A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
SUBSTANTIVE NEGATIVE COMMENTS ARE RECEIVED, THE CORPORATION WILL, AFTER
DUE CONSIDERATION OF SUCH TESTIMONY AND COMMENT, AFFIRM, MODIFY OR WITH-
DRAW THE PLAN IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR THE INITIAL FILING OF SUCH PLAN
IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION. HOWEVER, BEFORE THE CORPORATION
AFFIRMS THE PLAN IT MUST HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING WITH THIRTY DAYS NOTICE
AND DIRECT AND PROACTIVE CONSULTATION WITH "SPECIFICALLY AFFECTED
PARTIES". AT SUCH MEETING, THE CORPORATION MUST EXPLAIN WHY THEY HAVE
NOT MODIFIED OR WITHDRAWN THE PLAN IN RESPONSE TO SUBSTANTIVE NEGATIVE
COMMENTS. UPON a written finding of the chief executive officer of the
corporation that no substantive negative testimony or comment has been
received at such public hearing, NOR IN THE THIRTY DAY WRITTEN COMMENT
PERIOD THEREAFTER, such plan shall be effective at the conclusion of
such [hearing; provided, however, that if any substantive negative
testimony or comment is received at such public hearing, the corporation
may, after due consideration of such testimony and comment, affirm,
modify or withdraw the plan in the manner provided for the initial
filing of such plan in paragraph (a) of this subdivision] TIMEFRAME.
(3) After DIRECT AND PROACTIVE consultation with local officials, as
provided in subdivision one of this section, the corporation and any
subsidiary thereof shall, in constructing, reconstructing, rehabilitat-
ing, altering or improving any project, comply with the requirements of
local laws, ordinances, codes, charters or regulations applicable to
such construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration or
improvement, provided however, that when, in the discretion of the
corporation, such compliance is not feasible or practicable, the corpo-
ration and any subsidiary thereof shall comply with the requirements of
the state building construction code, formulated by the state building
code council pursuant to article eighteen of the executive law, applica-
ble to such construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration or
improvement. In those circumstances where, in the discretion of the
corporation, such compliance with local laws, ordinances, codes, char-
ters or regulations is not feasible or practicable, and in the case of
any project where the corporation intends to acquire real property
pursuant to section thirteen of this act, the requirements of subdivi-
sion two of this section shall be complied with; provided, however, that
(a) the corporation shall provide a copy of the plan to the chief execu-
tive officer of any municipality within which the project is to be
located, the chairman of the planning board or commission of any such
municipality, or if there is no planning board or commission, to the
presiding officer of the local governing body and in any city having a
population of one million or more, to any community board in which the
project is located, and the public hearing to consider the plan required
pursuant thereto shall be held on thirty days notice following adoption
of the plan by the corporation; SUCH PUBLIC HEARING SHALL CONFORM TO ALL
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OF THE DIRECT AND PROACTIVE CONSULTATION REQUIREMENTS AND THE PUBLIC
HEARING REQUIREMENTS AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISIONS ONE AND TWO OF THIS
SECTION; (b) any person shall have the opportunity to present written
comments on the plan within thirty days after the public hearing; (c)
any municipality within which the project is to be located, by majority
vote of its planning board or commission, or in the event there is no
planning board or commission, by majority vote of its local governing
body, may recommend approval, disapproval or modification of the plan,
which recommendation shall be submitted in writing to the corporation
within thirty days after such hearing; and (d) after due consideration
of such testimony and comments and municipal recommendations, if any,
the corporation may affirm, modify or withdraw the plan in the manner
provided for the initial filing of such plan in paragraph (a) of subdi-
vision two of this section, provided, however that in the event any such
municipality has recommended disapproval or modification of the plan, as
provided herein, the corporation may affirm the plan only by a vote of
two-thirds of the directors thereof then in office. No municipality
shall have power to modify or change the drawings, plans or specifica-
tions for the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, alteration
or improvement of any project of the corporation or of any subsidiary
thereof, or the construction, plumbing, heating, lighting or other
mechanical branch of work necessary to complete the work in question,
nor to require that any person, firm or corporation employed on any such
work shall perform any such work in any other or different manner than
that provided by such plans and specifications, nor to require that any
such person, firm or corporation obtain any other or additional authori-
ty, approval, permit or certificate from such municipality in relation
to the work being done, and the doing of any such work by any person,
firm or corporation in accordance with the terms of such drawings,
plans, specifications or contracts shall not subject said person, firm
or corporation to any liability or penalty, civil or criminal, other
than as may be stated in such contracts or incidental to the proper
enforcement thereof; nor shall any municipality have power to require
the corporation or any subsidiary thereof, or lessee therefrom or
successor in interest thereto, to obtain any other or additional author-
ity, approval, permit, certificate or certificate of occupancy from such
municipality as a condition of owning, using, maintaining, operating or
occupying any project acquired, constructed, reconstructed, rehabili-
tated, altered or improved by the corporation or by any subsidiary ther-
eof. The foregoing provisions shall not preclude any municipality from
exercising the right of inspection for the purpose of requiring compli-
ance by any such project with local requirements for operation and main-
tenance, affecting the health, safety and welfare of the occupants ther-
eof, provided, however, that such compliance does not require changes,
modifications or additions to the original construction of such project.
(4) Each municipality or political subdivision, including but not
limited to a county, city, town, village or district, in which any
project of the corporation or of any subsidiary thereof is located,
shall provide for such project, whether then owned by the corporation,
any subsidiary thereof or any successor in interest thereto, police,
fire, sanitation, health protection and other municipal services of the
same character and to the same extent as those provided for other resi-
dents of such municipality or political subdivision.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local
law or charter, any municipality or any public corporation is hereby
empowered to purchase or lease for a term not exceeding ninety-nine
S. 6249 5
years a civic project, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed
upon by such municipality or such public corporation and the corpo-
ration. No agreement for such purchase or lease shall be deemed to be a
contract for public work or purchase within the meaning of the general
municipal law. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be deemed to
amend or supersede any other provision of law requiring a vote of the
qualified voters of any school district upon a proposed expenditure of
funds or incurring of indebtedness by such school district.
(6) In carrying out any project, the corporation and its subsidiaries
shall be empowered to enter into contractual agreements with munici-
palities and public corporations with respect to the furnishing of any
community, municipal or public facilities or services necessary or
desirable for such project, and any municipality or public corporation
is hereby authorized and empowered, notwithstanding any other law, to
enter into such contractual agreements with the corporation and its
subsidiaries and to do all things necessary to carry out its obligations
under the same.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.