Stillwell Woods Park to see $12 million in upgrades in county-town pact

The Nassau County Legislature is transferring the 287-acre Stillwell Woods Park to the Town of Oyster Bay, setting in motion a plan to deliver millions of dollars in capital improvements to sports fields and facilities at the Syosset site. 

The town paid $1 for the property, which includes a 270-acre preserve, athletic fields and paths, according to the legislature's Jan. 27 agenda, when the ordinance was passed.

Before the transfer can be finalized, the county will have to complete a request for park alienation — the procedure for conveying parkland in New York — that requires State Legislature approval. The earliest that process can be completed is early next year, according to county and town officials.

“It’s a long time coming,” said Brad Schnur, president of Syosset Little League, which includes about 1,000 children and uses the park's fields from spring through fall. “With this transfer — it allows the town and stakeholders to really make this a top-flight facility, which it really deserves to be.”

$12M for park projects

Under the agreement, the town and county will each contribute $6 million over several years for capital projects at the park. Town spokesman Brian Nevin said upgrades will begin after the state approves the transfer and both Oyster Bay and Nassau County agree on which improvements to make. 

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino called the park “a special place in our community where families, athletes, and nature lovers come together,” adding in a statement that the town and county “will make significant investments” to improve the experience for residents.

Nassau County Legis. Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview) said that for years, the previous arrangement for the park was “problematic.” The county owned the property and the town had a use and occupancy agreement for the location, he said.

“There was confusion as to who was really responsible for the condition of it and the improvements and the maintenance,” Drucker said in an interview. “It looked like there was a cross-pointing of fingers between the county and the town.”

He called the transfer “the best outcome.”

Less pressure on leagues

Todd Cirella, director of field and maintenance for the Syosset Soccer Club, said that for years, the town has maintained the property despite the dispute and has been responsive to the needs of leagues that use the ballfields. 

Still, Cirella said, the club has spent “a great deal of our money maintaining that field,” adding the league has paid for hiring companies to seed the grass and clean up bathrooms before games. He said volunteers also spend their own time striping the field for the roughly 1,500 children in the club. 

Schnur and Cirella said drainage issues have plagued the park and that lighting is scarce. 

With the town and county handling upgrades, officials for Syosset Little League and Syosset Soccer Club said their budgets can be spent elsewhere, like on new equipment and clinics.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said the collaboration will “provide much-needed improvements for our children who play there, and nature lovers who enjoy the peace, tranquility and beauty of this park.”

Oyster Bay announced plans last fall to add a dog park at the site, Newsday reported.

In 2021, a portion of the park nearly changed hands. Syosset voters rejected a referendum allowing Nassau County to transfer 35 acres of Stillwell Woods Park to the school district.

The majority of the new transfer includes a sprawling nature preserve with walking and biking trails.

Michael Vitti, president of Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists, said the nonprofit for years has maintained trails in the preserve. He expressed concern for the town’s plans for that large section of the property.

“The way you have to handle a preserve — it’s very hands-off,” Vitti said. “There’s a lot of people who are very emotionally attached to this preserve, and they would be very upset if any changes happened.”

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ