Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4349-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 90, §2 and c. 406, §13, is further amended to read:

2. State facilities. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services shall develop site selection criteria for state office buildings, state courts and other state civic buildings that serve public clients and customers, whether owned or leased by the State, that give preference to the priority locations identified in this subsection while ensuring safe, healthy, appropriate work space for employees and clients and accounting for agency requirements. On-site parking may only be required if it is necessary to meet critical program needs and to ensure reasonable access for agency clients and persons with disabilities.__Employee parking that is within reasonable walking distance may be located off site. Preference must be given to priority locations in the following order: service center downtowns, service center growth areas and downtowns and growth areas in other than service center communities. If no suitable priority location exists or if the priority location would impose an undue financial hardship on the occupant or is not within a reasonable distance of the clients and customers served, the facility must be located in accordance with subsection 1. The following state facilities are exempt from this subsection: a state liquor store; a lease of less than 500 square feet; and a lease with a tenure of less than one year, including renewals.

SUMMARY

This bill is the recommendation of the Joint Study Committee to Study Growth Management. It clarifies that site selection criteria for state facilities may require on-site parking only if it is necessary to meet critical program needs and to ensure reasonable access for agency clients and persons with disabilities. It also clarifies that employee parking that is within reasonable walking distance may be located off site.