As the 2026 New York State Legislative session adjourned on June 5, Save Kings Point Park and Concerned Citizens of NY-03 declared victory in their battle to protect Kings Point Park, a 173-acre park that is 90% protected wetlands, the home to hundreds of birds, animals and rare plant life, and the largest remaining large growth forest on the Great Neck Peninsula.
According to both groups, the park had been threatened since the Spring of 2025, when the Great Neck Park District and Village of Kings Point tried to secretly turn nearly 2.5 acres of prime parkland into a 397-spot parking lot for an adjoining private building under construction. They also said state Senator Jack Martins (R-Mineola) and Assemblyman Daniel Norber (R,C-Great Neck) introduced alienation legislation without community input or the required environmental review. The 2025 bill passed the Senate, but died in the Assembly. Residents successfully sued, resulting in a judgment and the withdrawal of the legislation.
In January 2026, the village disclosed that a new environmental assessment was underway, but refused to share information with residents, Save Kings Point Park and Concerned Citizens of NY-03 said, sparking outrage from the community. The organizations pointed out to the untenable traffic, flooding, and other impacts and noted that a successful parkland alienation could foreseeably lead to the park’s destruction, as it could open the door for other religious groups that border the park to demand their piece of the park. Thousands of park-lovers rallied, signed petitions, sent letters and emails and made phone calls. And today, the community prevailed.
Jody Kass Finkel of Concerned Citizens of NY-03, said: “It’s shocking that the Park District Commissioners and Kings Point Mayor and Trustees believed they could make a back-room deal to give away a piece of cherished parkland and ignore the community’s right to have a say. The lesson in this victory is that communities are incredibly powerful.”
Nancy Sherman, founder of Save Kings Point Park, said: “Not only is this park a rare sanctuary in the midst of the urban growth on this peninsula, its wetlands provide natural stormwater protection from increased frequency and intensity of storms. Today’s victory is a testament to the community’s strength. We will continue to remain vigilant in our work to protect this park for future generations. Our public parks are not for sale to private entities!”