27:7-23. Acquisition of municipally owned property; procedure
If the commissioner finds it necessary to acquire lands owned and used by municipalities for public uses and purposes he shall, before taking it over for highway purposes and after hearing had in the manner prescribed in section 27:7-4 of this Title, if before the time fixed for the hearing the municipality whose land is subject to be acquired shall file a notice with the commissioner setting forth that the land is necessary for the public use of the municipality, determine whether or not it is a reasonable public necessity to acquire the land in question.
If the commissioner decides that it is a reasonable public necessity to acquire such lands for the State highway system, he shall give notice of his finding by serving a copy thereof upon the clerk of the governing body of the municipality within ten days after rendering the decision.
The municipality may within twenty days after service upon it of such notice, appeal from the decision of the commissioner to the Superior Court, which shall in an action hear and determine the question of whether or not the taking of the land in question in preference to some other route is a reasonable public necessity. The court may proceed in the action in a summary manner or otherwise.
Amended by L.1953, c. 27, p. 488, s. 3.