Kings Point Park land swap fuels Great Neck park race
A proposal to trade 2.48 acres of parkland for a larger property sits at the center of the commissioner contest, pitting an incumbent who supports the deal against a challenger who opposes it.
By Layla Fontaine ·
The Great Neck Park District is currently managing a lease for 170 acres of land in Kings Point, but a proposal to remove 2.48 acres of that space has become the defining issue of the upcoming commissioner election. The land is owned by the Village of Kings Point and leased to the district. The village introduced state legislation in 2025 to transfer this portion of the park to build a parking lot with nearly 400 spaces. This facility would serve a new community center constructed by the United Mashadi Jewish Community of America.
Tina Stellato, the incumbent commissioner, supports the exchange. She is seeking a fourth term in the race on December 8. Stellato, 50, was first elected in 2017 and began her current term in January 2018. Before serving on the board, she worked as a tennis professional at Parkwood Tennis for more than 17 years. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St. John’s University. Under her leadership, the district has added new parkland, renovated facilities, and increased recreation revenue.
Stellato argues that the proposed trade benefits residents by expanding the total amount of available green space. The Park District’s official statement says the exchange would take 2.48 acres from the Kings Point Park lease in return for 5.67 acres of former Wildwood Pool and Tennis Club property. Stellato noted that the Wildwood property was privately owned, meaning the district would gain land that was not previously public. She stated that the new property, combined with nearly 8 acres of adjacent village-owned wetlands, could yield about 13.5 acres of additional parkland.
“I was absolutely for the land swap,” Stellato said. She maintains that the proposal results in a net gain of parkland for the district. She also favors dedicated pickleball courts and continued improvements to the Steppingstone Park splash pad and Thomaston Park.
Nancy Sherman, the challenger, opposes the removal of any parkland. Sherman is a Great Neck attorney in her 60s who moved to the community in 1995. She raised two daughters in the area and has served on the Village of Thomaston Board of Trustees since 2023. She founded Save Kings Point Park in 2025, a grassroots group formed to protect the park’s recreational and natural resources.
Sherman criticized the Park District for supporting the alienation without informing residents first. “I would never agree to give any of our parkland away,” she said. She believes the district should have allowed the public to weigh in before the legislation was introduced. If elected, she plans to oppose any legislation that removes parkland. She said that if outvoted by her colleagues, she would push for public hearings and a full environmental review before changes are implemented.
Sherman’s platform also includes building a state-of-the-art indoor pickleball facility at Memorial Field. She emphasizes park maintenance, financial transparency, and the fuller use of existing properties. The dispute over Kings Point Park has also led to a lawsuit by residents who challenge the village’s environmental review of the proposed alienation.
The state legislature acted on the proposal but did not complete the process. The bill passed the state Senate in June 2025 but stalled in the Assembly. The Senate bill was stricken in March 2026. The election for the commissioner seat is scheduled for December 8, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Three commissioners serve staggered three-year terms, with one seat up for election each year. The district holds separate polling locations in its four election districts.
