Court delivers another blow to Quincy in fight over Long Island Bridge

QUINCY – The city was dealt a second blow in its fight against Boston's attempt to rebuild the Long Island Bridge when a Suffolk Superior Court judge said state officials were correct in allowing the project to move forward under a Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act review.

Judge Rosemary Connolly on Thursday said Quincy was wrong in its challenge of the state certification, and that the city failed to provide evidence of the environmental damage it claims the bridge will cause. The decision comes just days after the state's highest court ruled in favor of a Boston challenge to the Quincy Conservation Commission's denial of a permit for the bridge.

More: Long Island a 'big piece' of how Boston plans to fight opioid crisis

Last week: Long Island ferry service just got a vote of confidence. Here's where things stand.

Chris Walker, chief of staff to Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, said Friday that Quincy will likely appeal the Suffolk Superior Court's decision. He said city officials still believe the tide could turn in favor of Quincy.

"We have faith that the regulatory system does work. We don't necessarily agree with some of the rulings that have come down, but the system will work and we have confidence it is going to work in our favor," Walker said. "This is a bridge design that would have only been allowed 75 years ago when it was originally proposed."

The Suffolk Superior Court case was the last pending court case between the two cities over the bridge. Quincy can reopen it in an appeal, but no other cases are awaiting judgment. Boston still needs several more approvals before the bridge can be built, including a Chapter 91 Waterways Permit, a Coast Guard permit and Quincy Planning Board approval.

South Shore As It Was: With 'irresistible hospitality,' Squantum was a summer destination for Quincy's elite

'A real loss for the community': Quincy's Good Health grocery store to close next month

"There are still a multitude of issues that need to be addressed via various agencies, including the Coast Guard and local permitting authorities," Walker said. "We are going to continue to make our case that this is a seriously flawed, both environmentally and structurally, proposal."

The Long Island Bridge, which connected Moon Island off Quincy's Squantum neighborhood to the Boston-owned Long Island, was closed in 2014 due to safety concerns. The original pilings for the bridge are still standing in Boston Harbor, and the city has proposed rebuilding the bridge so it can open an addiction recovery center and homeless shelter on Long Island.

Quincy says rebuilding the bridge is unfair to Squantum residents, who will bear the brunt of traffic during and after construction,  and claim Boston's plan is a major threat to the environment.

State environmental authorities several years ago said Boston’s proposal to rebuild the bridge did not require the city to prepare an environmental impact report and that it did not require further review under the  Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. Quincy sued, and on Thursday lost in the lower court.

In May, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins' office said it is investigating Quincy for allegedly not complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She said in a letter to city officials that blocking the development of a recovery campus on Long Island could be considered discrimination against those with substance abuse disorder, a protected class under the disabilities law.

In an email last week, representatives of the U.S. attorney's office told The Patriot Ledger they had no comment on the ongoing investigation.

Quincy has spent about $550,000 fighting the bridge since 2018.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer. 

Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy suffers another loss in fight over Long Island Bridge