1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 13 of P.L.1961, c.45 (C. 13:8A-13), section 13 of P.L.1971, c.419 (C. 13:8A-31), section 13 of P.L.1975, c.155 (C. 13:8A-47), or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto to the contrary, a parking lot located on, and which is used to provide public access to, lands acquired or developed for recreation and conservation purposes by a local unit with financial assistance from the State in the form of a grant or loan of Green Acres bond funds, may also be used by the public as a designated commuter parking lot, and that additional use shall not be deemed to constitute a disposal or diversion of those lands pursuant to section 13 of P.L.1961, c.45 (C. 13:8A-13), section 13 of P.L.1971, c.419 (C. 13:8A-31), section 13 of P.L.1975, c.155 (C. 13:8A-47), or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto; provided that the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, after holding at least one public hearing in the municipality wherein the lands are located, has approved the additional use of the parking lot for commuter parking.

b. The commissioner shall grant the approval required pursuant to subsection a. of this section only if the commissioner finds that:

(1) the local unit has adopted an ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, designating the parking lot for dual use as a public park access and commuter parking lot, subject to the approval of the commissioner pursuant to this section;

(2) the parking lot was constructed prior to June 30, 1999;

(3) no Green Acres bond funds were used to pay for construction of the parking lot; and

(4) the additional use of the parking lot, and any improvements which may be made thereto, for commuter parking (a) in consultation with the Commissioner of Transportation, fulfill a compelling public need or yield a significant public benefit, (b) would not substantially inhibit use of the parking lot for public access to the lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and (c) would not substantially harm the recreation and conservation purposes for which the lands were acquired.

c. The expansion of any parking lot or the construction of any additional parking lot on lands acquired or developed for recreation and conservation purposes and for which an approval for a dual use public park access and commuter parking lot has been granted by the commissioner pursuant to this section shall be deemed to constitute a disposal or diversion of those lands pursuant to section 13 of P.L.1961, c.45 (C. 13:8A-13), section 13 of P.L.1971, c.419 (C. 13:8A-31), or section 13 of P.L.1975, c.155 (C. 13:8A-47), as the case may be.

d. The commissioner, after holding at least one public hearing in the municipality wherein the lands are located, may revoke any approval granted pursuant to this section if the facts or findings upon which the approval was based have changed to the extent that the requirements for approval as prescribed in this section are no longer met.

e. No improvements shall be made to any parking lot designated and approved for dual use as a public park access and commuter parking lot pursuant to this section without the approval of the commissioner. Such approval shall be granted only if the commissioner, after holding at least one public hearing in the municipality wherein the parking lot is located, finds that (1) the improvements meet the criteria set forth in paragraph (4) of subsection b. of this section, and (2) do not constitute an expansion of the parking lot.

f. For the purposes of this section:

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Environmental Protection;

“Green Acres bond funds” means proceeds from the sale of bonds pursuant to P.L.1961, c.46; P.L.1971, c.165; P.L.1974, c.102; P.L.1978, c.118; P.L.1983, c.354; P.L.1987, c.265; P.L.1989, c.183; P.L.1992, c.88; or P.L.1995, c.204, for the purpose of providing State grants or loans to assist local units to meet the cost of acquiring or developing lands for recreation and conservation purposes;

“Local unit” means the same as that term is defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1961, c.45 (C. 13:8A-3), section 3 of P.L.1971, c.419 (C. 13:8A-21), or section 3 of P.L.1975, c.155 (C. 13:8A-37); and

“Recreation and conservation purposes” means the same as that term is defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1961, c.45 (C. 13:8A-3), section 3 of P.L.1971, c.419 (C. 13:8A-21), or section 3 of P.L.1975, c.155 (C. 13:8A-37).

L.2003,c.290,s.1.