Legislature OKs negative SEQRA finding and parkland exchange for cell tower at Putnam County Golf Course

The Putnam County Legislature on Tuesday adopted a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and approved related alienation legislation to permit a cell tower at the Putnam County Golf Course.

During the physical-services committee report, Legislator Elner said two agenda items concerned a planned cell tower to be located at 161 Hill Street on county-owned golf-course property. Because the project would remove a portion of parkland, the legislature passed legislation adding equivalent parkland elsewhere, a required step under local and state rules when County parkland is alienated for non-park uses.

Lawmakers said the alienation package had been discussed in committee and that the action before the full legislature would replace the parkland taken for the installation with an equal area of parkland at another site. The legislature voted to approve the negative SEQRA declaration for the tower site and the companion alienation resolution; the motions carried on voice votes.

What was approved

- A SEQRA negative declaration finding no significant environmental impact for the proposed cell-tower installation at 161 Hill Street on county golf-course property. - Alienation legislation to add equivalent parkland in…