Expands smart growth public infrastructure criteria to apply to the New York State urban development corporation; adds the additional criteria of promoting public transit ridership and ensuring existing transit riders are able to access employment opportunities and cultural and recreational amenities with ease through the construction of transit facilities protected from extreme weather and traffic violence less than one quarter of a mile walking distance to such opportunities and amenities.
Summary
S07365 would amend New York’s Environmental Conservation Law provisions on smart growth public infrastructure criteria. The bill expands the entities covered by the existing rule so that, in addition to state infrastructure agencies, the New York State Urban Development Corporation would also be barred from approving, undertaking, supporting, or financing public infrastructure projects unless, to the extent practicable, they are consistent with the smart growth criteria in the statute.
The bill also updates the criteria themselves. It retains existing goals such as predictability in building and land use codes, sustainability, community planning, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while adding a new climate-risk criterion focused on mitigating future physical risks from sea level rise, storm surge, and flooding using available data. It further adds a transit-oriented development criterion requiring public infrastructure projects to promote transit ridership and to help existing transit riders reach jobs and cultural or recreational amenities through transit facilities that are protected from extreme weather and traffic violence and located within a quarter-mile walking distance of those destinations.
Impact
The bill would directly amend section 6-0107 of the Environmental Conservation Law, broadening the scope of agencies subject to smart growth review and adding new substantive planning requirements for public infrastructure projects. In practical terms, it would affect state infrastructure funding, grants, loans, and assistance programs by requiring more projects to align with climate resilience and transit-access goals where practicable, and it would bring the New York State Urban Development Corporation into the same framework as other state infrastructure agencies.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the supplied materials. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a planning, climate resilience, and transit-access expansion, suggesting a generally pro-environment and pro-transit policy approach. The absence of voting history or discussion prevents a more specific assessment of legislative sentiment.
Contention
The most likely points of contention are the bill’s expanded obligations for state financing and development entities, especially the inclusion of the New York State Urban Development Corporation and the requirement that projects meet the new criteria only “to the extent practicable.” Potential concerns could include added administrative burden, project delays, or uncertainty in applying climate-risk and transit-access standards. Supporters would likely emphasize reduced greenhouse gas emissions, flood resilience, and improved access to jobs and amenities through transit-oriented infrastructure.
Establishes a public transportation safety grant program and public transportation safety grant fund for the purpose of enhancing safety infrastructure at public transit facilities throughout the state.
Requires non-preferential opportunity for use of amenities in certain buildings and apartments; requires that rental tenants must be provided with the opportunity to use amenities commonly accessible to other tenants of the multiple dwelling and not unique to an individual unit.