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 exchange for the area used for the tower, as explained in the physical-services committee discussion.

Next steps

Passing the negative declaration and the alienation legislation clears local land-use steps; any construction, permitting and site work will follow the county’s procurement and permitting processes.

Speakers

[{"name":"Legislator Elner","role_title":"Legislator; Chair, Physical Services Committee","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Putnam County Legislature","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:58:25","transcript_line_range":[3505,3508]}},{"name":"Legislator Rodney","role_title":"Legislator (committee member)","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Putnam County Legislature","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:58:25","transcript_line_range":[3505,3508]}}]

authorities

[{"type":"other","name":"State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) negative declaration (local determination)","referenced_by":["cell-tower-putnam-golf-course"]}]

actions

[{"kind":"other","identifiers":{"agenda_item_id":"6o/6p"},"motion":"Adopt negative declaration under SEQRA for cell tower at 161 Hill Street; approve alienation legislation and add equivalent parkland","mover":"Legislator Elner","second":null,"vote_record":[{"member":"Legislator Elner","vote":"yes"},{"member":"Legislator Rodney","vote":"yes"}],"tally":{"yes":1,"no":0,"abstain":0},"legal_threshold":{"met":true,"notes":"Committee-approved resolutions moved to full body and passed by voice vote"},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Negative declaration and parkland exchange approved; item was presented as having been covered in prior committee"}]

discussion_decision

{"discussion_points":["Two items relate to the same cell-tower project at Putnam County Golf Course","Because parkland would be used, the legislature must add equivalent parkland elsewhere (alienation)"],"directions":[],"decisions":["Negative SEQRA declaration adopted; alienation legislation approved to add equivalent parkland"]}

clarifying_details

[{"category":"location","detail":"Proposed cell tower site","value":"161 Hill Street","units":"address","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Legislator Elner"},{"category":"parkland","detail":"Equivalent parkland to be added to replace area taken for tower","value":"not specified","units":"","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Legislator Elner"}]

proper_names

[{"name":"Putnam County Golf Course","type":"facility"},{"name":"Putnam County Legislature","type":"agency"},{"name":"SEQRA","type":"other"}]

community_relevance

{"geographies":["Putnam County"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["park users","golf course patrons","residents near 161 Hill Street"]}

meeting_context

{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":2,"duration_minutes":10,"items_count":2},"implementation_risk":"low","history":[{"date":"2025-05-06","note":"Item discussed in physical-services committee prior to full-legislature vote"}]}

searchable_tags

["cell tower","parkland alienation","SEQRA","Putnam County Golf Course","161 Hill Street"]

provenance

{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"block_3505.56","local_start":0,"local_end":180,"evidence_excerpt":"On behalf of my colleagues... The 2 have to deal with a cell tower, which will go to the property of the Putnam County Golf Course. is the adoption of the negative secret declaration with the cell tower to be at 161 Hill Street.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_3568.85","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"16 has to do with the same cell tower, and it has to do with the, necessary in alienation legislation... because we are taking away parkland to put the cell tower, we are now going to add the park land of the equivalent area in another location. Discussion. All those in favor. Aye.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}] },