New York Senate Bill S08378

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 6/6/25
• Refer: 6/6/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires that land formerly used as an armory which was conveyed to the town of Riverhead, county of Suffolk by the state in 2011, to be leased to the YMCA of Long Island for the provision of recreational and educational programs.

Summary

This bill amends a 2011 law governing state-conveyed armory land in Riverhead, Suffolk County. Under the current bill text, the property must be entered into leases or other agreements with the YMCA of Long Island, on terms agreed to by the Town of Riverhead and the YMCA, and the site must be used by the YMCA to improve the structures and provide recreational and community services. The bill replaces the prior authorized uses, which had focused on town police, justice court, public safety, and town-run recreational programs. The bill also preserves a reversion clause: if the land stops being used for the specified YMCA-related purposes, title reverts to the State of New York. The measure takes effect immediately and is a targeted amendment to the earlier armory conveyance law rather than a broad statewide policy change.

Impact

The bill narrows and redirects the permitted use of the former armory property conveyed to the Town of Riverhead by changing the statutory use restrictions in chapter 495 of the laws of 2011. It would require the town to lease or otherwise arrange use of the land with the YMCA of Long Island for recreational and community services, and it would eliminate the prior statutory authorization for police, court, and public safety uses on that site. The bill affects the Town of Riverhead, the YMCA of Long Island, and the State of New York through the continued reversion provision if the property is no longer used for the approved purposes.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be a localized, practical land-use change with no documented opposition in the available record. The caption and amended language suggest support for repurposing the property for YMCA recreational and educational programming, indicating a generally favorable or noncontroversial posture. However, because no transcripts or vote history were provided, the broader legislative sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s apparent administrative and community-service focus.

Contention

The main point of contention inherent in the bill is the shift in control and use of the former armory property away from government/public-safety functions and toward YMCA operations. That change could matter to the Town of Riverhead, local public-safety stakeholders, and any parties who preferred the original statutory uses for police, justice court, or other municipal purposes. The bill resolves that issue by requiring YMCA-related use and preserving state reversion if the property is no longer used as specified.