Immediate action is critical to protect Kings Point Park in Great Neck, NY

This legislation is expected to come up for a vote at any moment. 

To the New York State Senate and Assembly: 

Petition to Oppose Senate Bill 7868 introduced by State Senator Jack Martins, and Companion Assembly Bill A08621, introduced by Daniel Norber

We, the undersigned residents of the Great Neck community, strongly oppose Senate Bill 7868 and Companion Assembly Bill A08621 (proposed by Assemblyman Norber). This bill proposes the alienation of 2.5 acres of Kings Point Park, an ecologically vital area which is composed of 90% protected wetlands and one of the last remaining forested regions in Nassau County. This rare, undisturbed ecosystem, including its wildlife, must be preserved.

The proposed legislation will destroy this New York State protected wetland greenspace to build a parking lot for a private facility. In 2023, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation issued a warning against tree removal and construction in this sensitive area. Clearly, that is being ignored.

We have never been notified that the REQUIRED State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) was performed, nor have we ever received any notice of a public hearing or appeared at any public hearing. The environmental impact of this proposal is deeply troubling. Wetlands serve as natural flood control systems, absorbing excess rainwater and protecting surrounding neighborhoods from storm surges—an increasingly urgent concern in the face of climate change. The removal of mature trees and the paving over of natural land will increase runoff, reduce biodiversity, and contribute to the urban heat island effect. Once this land is developed, its ecological value cannot be restored and is gone forever.  

The proposed land swap involves a former pool club purchased by this same private group and would not be accessible to GNPD residents who will have underwritten the cost of the land.

This bill contradicts the mission of the Great Neck Park District, which is committed to the stewardship and preservation of public greenspace. It sets a dangerous precedent for the piecemeal destruction of our parks and undermines the public trust. And it is amply clear that public sentiment is against the further destruction of this protected space which is why these bills have been stealthily introduced without fanfare and without the required SEQRA review.

We urge our elected officials to table Senate Bill 7868 and Companion Assembly Bill A08621, until a full SEQRA review is completed with public participation and transparency. Our parks are not expendable. We do not pay taxes for the preservation of our parks to have them turn into parking lots. They are essential to the health, safety, and well-being of our community, now and for future generations.

We, the undersigned, respectfully request that you reject Senate Bill 7868 and Companion Assembly Bill A08621.