STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5739
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 14, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. KAMINSKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
AN ACT to amend the town law and the village law, in relation to requir-
ing local building and planning regulations to accommodate the use of
certain renewable and alternative energy sources
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 263 of the town law, as amended by chapter 602 of
2 the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 263. Purposes in view. Such regulations shall be made in accordance
4 with a comprehensive plan and designed to lessen congestion in the
5 streets; to secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other dangers; to
6 promote health and general welfare; to provide adequate light and air;
7 to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of
8 population; to make provision for, so far as conditions may permit, the
9 accommodation of [solar energy systems and equipment and access to
10 sunlight necessary therefor] solar thermal, photovoltaics, wind, hydro-
11 electric, geothermal electric, geothermal ground source heat, tidal
12 energy, wave energy, ocean thermal, farm waste electric generating
13 equipment as defined in paragraph (e) of subdivision one of section
14 sixty-six-j of the public service law, and fuel cells; to facilitate the
15 practice of forestry; to facilitate the adequate provision of transpor-
16 tation, water, sewerage, schools, parks and other public requirements.
17 Such regulations shall be made with reasonable consideration, among
18 other things, as to the character of the district and its peculiar suit-
19 ability for particular uses, and with a view to conserving the value of
20 buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout
21 such municipality.
22 § 2. Section 7-704 of the village law, as amended by chapter 742 of
23 the laws of 1979, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00651-01-9
S. 5739 2
1 § 7-704 Purposes in view. Such regulations shall be made in accordance
2 with a comprehensive plan and designed to lessen congestion in the
3 streets; to secure safety from fire, panic, floods and other dangers; to
4 promote health and the general welfare; to provide adequate light and
5 air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration
6 of population; to make provision for, so far as conditions may permit,
7 the accommodation of [solar energy systems and equipment and access to
8 sunlight necessary therefor] solar thermal, photovoltaics, wind, hydro-
9 electric, geothermal electric, geothermal ground source heat, tidal
10 energy, wave energy, ocean thermal, farm waste electric generating
11 equipment as defined in paragraph (e) of subdivision one of section
12 sixty-six-j of the public service law and fuel cells; to facilitate the
13 adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks
14 and other public requirements. Such regulations shall be made with
15 reasonable consideration, among other things, as to the character of the
16 district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses, and with a
17 view to conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most
18 appropriate use of land throughout such municipality.
19 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.