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SB00454 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING PARK REPLACEMENT BY MUNICIPALITIES.

AN ACT CONCERNING PARK REPLACEMENT BY MUNICIPALITIES.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Environment Committee
Last action
2026-03-09
Official status
Public Hearing 03/13
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify what happens if a municipality fails to provide replacement land.

Clarifying Rules for Park Replacement

This act clarifies rules for municipalities to replace park land when they convert it for other uses such as highways.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the old rule about replacing park or open space land and replaces it with a new one.
  • Requires towns, cities, or boroughs to provide comparable replacement land if they take park land for non-park purposes like roads.
  • Mandates that before converting park land, municipalities must hold a public hearing where they explain the reasons and details of the conversion.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Towns, cities, or boroughs in Connecticut
  • People who use parks

Terms To Know

Municipality
A town, city, or borough that is a political subdivision of the state.
Public Hearing
A meeting where people can speak about and discuss proposed changes to land use.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a municipality fails to provide replacement land.
  • It is unclear how the value of replacement land will be determined.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-09 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/13

  2. 2026-03-06 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Environment

Official Summary Text

To clarify certain provisions of the park and open space replacement statute for municipalities.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
LCO No. 2418 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 454
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2418

Referred to Committee on ENVIRONMENT

Introduced by:
(ENV)

AN ACT CONCERNING PARK REPLACEMENT BY MUNICIPALITIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 7-131n of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage): 2
If any municipality takes, converts or repurposes any land, including, 3
but not limited to, any land in such municipality's possession, for 4
highway or other nonpark or nonopen space purposes, which land was 5
purchased or acquired for park or other recreational or open space 6
purposes, or for which bonds were issued for such purposes, or which 7
had been dedicated for such purposes, such municipality shall provide 8
comparable replacement land at least equal in value and per unit area 9
size to the value and per unit area size of the land taken , converted or 10
repurposed; provided before such municipality takes , converts or 11
repurposes such land for highway or other nonpark or nonopen space 12
purposes it shall hold a public hearing in addition to any public hearing 13
required by section 13a-58 or by any other section of the general statutes 14
or by any special act or city charter. At such public hearing and in the 15
notice thereof, the municipality shall set forth the description of the land 16

Raised Bill No. 454

LCO No. 2418 2 of 2

proposed to be taken, converted or repurposed and the proposed use of 17
such land, any reasons for the proposed taking , conversion or 18
repurposing of the parkland , recreational space or open space rather 19
than other land and the description of the replacement land to be 20
provided. The municipality shall give notice of the time and place of 21
such hearing by publication in a newspaper having a substantial 22
circulation in such municipality, such notice to be given at least twice, 23
at intervals of not less than two days, the first not more than fifteen days 24
nor less than ten days and the second not less than two days before such 25
hearing and such hearing shall be held within a period of not more than 26
thirty and not less than fifteen days after any other public hearing 27
required by section 13a-58 or by any other section of the general statutes. 28
For purposes of this section "municipality" means any town, city or 29
borough, or other political subdivision of the state. 30
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage 7-131n

Statement of Purpose:
To clarify certain provisions of the park and open space replacement
statute for municipalities.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]