* § 491-a. Conservation easement agreement exemption; certain towns.\n1. Applicability. In a town having a population of not less than\nthirty-two thousand and not more than thirty-five thousand, that is\nlocated in a county having a population of not less than three hundred\nthousand and not more than three hundred seven thousand, based upon and\nrecorded by the latest census, is hereby authorized to adopt a local law\nto provide that, real property whose interests or rights have been\nacquired for the purpose of the preservation of an open space or an open\narea, as authorized in section two hundred forty-seven of the general\nmunicipal law, may be partially exempt from local real property\ntaxation, provided that the owner or owners of such real property enter\ninto a conservation easement agreement with the municipality in\naccordance with the procedures specified in subdivision three of this\nsection. A county having a population of not less than three hundred\nthousand and not more than three hundred seven thousand based upon and\nrecorded in the latest census may, by local law, and any school\ndistrict, all or part of which is located in a town having a population\nof not less than thirty-two thousand and not more than thirty-five\nthousand that is located in a county having a population of not less\nthan three hundred thousand and not more than three hundred seven\nthousand based upon and recorded by the latest census, may, by\nresolution, exempt such property from its taxation in the same manner\nand to the same extent as such town has done.\n 2. Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following terms\nshall have the following meanings: "open space" or "open area" means any\nspace or area characterized by natural scenic beauty or whose existing\nopenness, natural condition or present state of use, if retained, would\nenhance the present or potential value of abutting or surrounding urban\ndevelopment or would maintain or enhance the conservation of natural or\nscenic resources. For the purposes of this definition, "natural or\nscenic resources" shall include, but not be limited to, agricultural\nlands defined as open lands actually used in bona fide agricultural\nproduction.\n 3. Procedures for obtaining a conservation easement agreement. (a) Any\nowner or owners of land may submit a proposal to the town board of a\ntown having a population of not less than thirty-two thousand and not\nmore than thirty-five thousand that is located in a county having a\npopulation of not less than three hundred thousand and not more than\nthree hundred seven thousand, based upon and recorded by the latest\ncensus, for the granting of interest or rights in real property for the\npreservation of open space or areas. Such proposal shall be submitted in\nsuch a manner and form as may be prescribed by the conservation board of\nsuch town.\n (b) Upon receipt of such proposal, the town board shall convey the\nproposal to the conservation board of such town. Such conservation board\nshall investigate the area to determine if the proposal would be of\nbenefit to the people of the town and may negotiate the terms and\nconditions of the offer. If the conservation board determines that it is\nin the public interest to accept such proposal, it shall recommend to\nthe town board that it hold a public hearing for the purpose of\ndetermining whether or not the town should accept such proposal.\n (c) The town board shall, within thirty days of receipt of such\nadvisory opinion, hold a public hearing concerning such proposal at a\nplace within the town. At least ten days notice of the time and place of\nsuch hearing shall be published in a paper of general circulation in\nsuch town, and a written notice of such proposal shall be given to all\nadjacent property owners and to any municipality whose boundaries are\nwithin five hundred feet of the boundaries of said proposed area, and to\nthe school district in which it is located.\n (d) Th
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