Oyster Bay plans to build dog park at Stillwell Woods Park in Syosset
Under the plan, Stillwell Woods Park would get dedicated, off-leash space for dogs as well as other improvements. Credit: Newsday/Kendall Rodriguez
Oyster Bay Town officials plan to build a dog park at Stillwell Woods Park in Syosset in an area on the North Shore where advocates say there are few pet-friendly spaces.
Town officials say they are also in the "final stages" of taking over the entirety of the Nassau County-owned preserve, which spans 270 acres.
The town is working to acquire the title for the park, which has walking paths, bike trails and athletic fields, officials said. Oyster Bay plans to create a dedicated, off-leash space for dogs at Stillwell. The town will also make other improvements to the property.
Town spokesman Brian Nevin said it will cost about $230,000 to build the dog park and a parking lot on the preserve. The town and county would contribute $3 million each over several years to upgrade the park's fields, parking and bathrooms, as part of a memorandum of understanding, Nevin said.
“I noticed on a personal level and in speaking with the community that people just didn’t have an area on the North Shore that would allow for their furry friends,” Assemb. Jake Blumencranz (R-Oyster Bay), who recently secured a $100,000 grant for the dog park, said in an interview.
A Nassau County spokesman did not respond for a request to comment about the title transfer.
The town has two other dedicated, off-leash dog parks — one in Massapequa and another in Bayville. Advocates had been pushing for years to secure a dog park more centrally in the town, said Peggy Heijmen, vice president of LI-DOG, a nonprofit focused on boosting access to public parks.
Heijmen said the process of securing space and creating dog parks is often “an upward battle” and Oyster Bay has allowed “dog-friendly parklets,” or smaller spaces for leashed pets, to address the lack of larger parks.
The Town of Hempstead has 10 off-leash dog parks, according to its website. North Hempstead spokesman Umberto Mignardi said the town has one off-leash dog park and five "dog-friendly" parks.
“Going to Centre Island for me might not be that hard,” said Heijmen, who lives in Oyster Bay. “But it’s not exactly around the corner for a lot of people in the town.”
In 2021, Syosset voters rejected a referendum allowing Nassau County to transfer 35 acres of Stillwell Woods Park to the school district. A total of $3 million in county funds was earmarked for the project, former Nassau Legis. Joshua Lafazan (D-Woodbury) said at the time.
There is no timeline for the property transfer, according to town spokeswoman Marta Kane. She said the town is in the “final stages of taking ownership of the park from the county, and then will have to have site plans put together following community input.”
The proposed dog park would be 200 feet by 100 feet, with separate sections for large and small dogs, according to a copy of the town's proposal.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said the dog park would "add tremendously to the use and recreation of this important site." He said the town is in the process of designing the new dog-friendly space.
Oyster Bay Parks Commissioner Joseph Pinto said in a statement that a “dog park in the center of town will help us balance usage among the other facilities while expanding accessibility for pets to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise and socialize with other dogs.”
Correction: The Dog Park at Centre Island Beach, one of two such parks in the Town of Oyster Bay, is in Bayville. An earlier version of this story had an incorrect location.
Oyster Bay Town officials plan to build a dog park at Stillwell Woods Park in Syosset in an area on the North Shore where advocates say there are few pet-friendly spaces.
Town officials say they are also in the "final stages" of taking over the entirety of the Nassau County-owned preserve, which spans 270 acres.
The town is working to acquire the title for the park, which has walking paths, bike trails and athletic fields, officials said. Oyster Bay plans to create a dedicated, off-leash space for dogs at Stillwell. The town will also make other improvements to the property.
Town spokesman Brian Nevin said it will cost about $230,000 to build the dog park and a parking lot on the preserve. The town and county would contribute $3 million each over several years to upgrade the park's fields, parking and bathrooms, as part of a memorandum of understanding, Nevin said.
“I noticed on a personal level and in speaking with the community that people just didn’t have an area on the North Shore that would allow for their furry friends,” Assemb. Jake Blumencranz (R-Oyster Bay), who recently secured a $100,000 grant for the dog park, said in an interview.
A Nassau County spokesman did not respond for a request to comment about the title transfer.
The town has two other dedicated, off-leash dog parks — one in Massapequa and another in Bayville. Advocates had been pushing for years to secure a dog park more centrally in the town, said Peggy Heijmen, vice president of LI-DOG, a nonprofit focused on boosting access to public parks.
Heijmen said the process of securing space and creating dog parks is often “an upward battle” and Oyster Bay has allowed “dog-friendly parklets,” or smaller spaces for leashed pets, to address the lack of larger parks.
The Town of Hempstead has 10 off-leash dog parks, according to its website. North Hempstead spokesman Umberto Mignardi said the town has one off-leash dog park and five "dog-friendly" parks.
“Going to Centre Island for me might not be that hard,” said Heijmen, who lives in Oyster Bay. “But it’s not exactly around the corner for a lot of people in the town.”
In 2021, Syosset voters rejected a referendum allowing Nassau County to transfer 35 acres of Stillwell Woods Park to the school district. A total of $3 million in county funds was earmarked for the project, former Nassau Legis. Joshua Lafazan (D-Woodbury) said at the time.
There is no timeline for the property transfer, according to town spokeswoman Marta Kane. She said the town is in the “final stages of taking ownership of the park from the county, and then will have to have site plans put together following community input.”
The proposed dog park would be 200 feet by 100 feet, with separate sections for large and small dogs, according to a copy of the town's proposal.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said the dog park would "add tremendously to the use and recreation of this important site." He said the town is in the process of designing the new dog-friendly space.
Oyster Bay Parks Commissioner Joseph Pinto said in a statement that a “dog park in the center of town will help us balance usage among the other facilities while expanding accessibility for pets to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise and socialize with other dogs.”
Correction: The Dog Park at Centre Island Beach, one of two such parks in the Town of Oyster Bay, is in Bayville. An earlier version of this story had an incorrect location.
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