Quincy is dealt another setback in Long Island Bridge battle. Here's what's next

QUINCY − Mayor Thomas Koch says the city will appeal the state's decision to grant a license for Boston's plan to rebuild the Long Island Bridge.

On Wednesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the state has granted a Chapter 91 license for the project. That state law governs uses of coastal and inland waterways.

Koch says Quincy will fight the license decision and any other permits Boston receives for the bridge. Access to the bridge would have to go through the Squantum neighborhood.

"I understand the City of Boston’s desire to make their constituents believe that every decision over the last 5 years of this process is some kind of final green light for a new bridge," Koch said in a statement. "The fact is that’s just not the case. Beyond the compelling appeal we plan to file for this one permit, there are multiple permits still required. We will continue to ensure that this community’s serious and legitimate concerns relative to the bridge’s design and environmental impacts are heard at every level.”

More permits needed for Boston's Long Island Bridge project

Two more reviews are required before construction can begin: one by the state Office of Coastal Zone Management and a second permit from the U.S. Coast Guard, which has already approved the bridge's clearance measurements.

Wu said the Chapter 91 license will accelerate the project. Boston wants to rebuild the bridge so it can resume offering drug addiction-related services on the island.

"With this major state approval in hand, our work to rebuild the Long Island Bridge and bring back this critical health care campus can truly begin," she said in a statement. "This is a transformative opportunity to support families and meet the needs of individuals and communities across the region. We're ready to move forward in partnership with health care, recovery and housing providers, alongside our governmental and philanthropic partners, and the many community members who believe in the enormous potential of this unique resource to help meet our most urgent challenges."

Quincy Ward 6 City Councilor Bill Harris, whose district includes Squantum, took issue with Wu's assertions.

"Wu's comments today with respect to the Long Island Bridge are disingenuous to the citizens she represents, the people of Boston," Harris said in an email to The Patriot Ledger. "... In her announcement, she stated with the Chapter 91 ruling in favor of the permitting of the rebuilding of the Long Island bridge, she was going to expedite the rebuilding process, which she states will take approximately 4 years to accomplish.

"This in my opinion is a fairytale being told to scare way the wolves (critics) at the castle door. The roadblocks that Boston has to still overcome with respect to the City of Quincy permitting and its safety concerns do not give Mayor Wu any option of expediting the rebuilding process in any way."

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Long Island Bridge demolished eight years ago

Originally built in 1951, the Long Island Bridge was accessed through Moon Island and the Squantum neighborhood. It was demolished in 2015 for safety reasons, resulting in the closure of a homeless shelter and a rehabilitation center on the island.

In 2018, then-Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced his intention to rebuild the bridge and restore and expand drug-treatment services on the island. Wu has continued to push the proposal.

Koch and other Quincy officials have opposed the plans from the beginning, citing traffic, safety and environmental concerns. Efforts to defeat the proposal on grounds that it would violate the state Wetlands Protection Act and Regulations have been rebuffed in the courts.

More: Quincy says latest court ruling 'not a green light' to rebuild Long Island Bridge

Quincy bans commercial vehicles near the bridge

The Quincy City Council has passed an ordinance banning commercial vehicles from connecting roads that would access the bridge.

Wu's office said bridge construction would cost $81 million and take four years to complete. The proposed campus would span 350,000 square feet in 11 buildings.

Boston now intends to put out a request for proposals from management firms to oversee the project. The city recently devoted $38 million to repairing the existing buildings on the island.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Koch vows to appeal bridge license; Boston hails decision