Two court rulings this week are in favor of Boston's push to reopen the Long Island Bridge and establish an addiction recovery campus on the island. The Boston-owned island previously offered refuge for the unhoused and offered drug treatment.
But the bridge was connected through Quincy’s Moon Island and was shut down in 2014 due to structural concerns.
Opinions on what the bridge and center’s reopening could mean are mixed.
“I think for the most part it’d be good for the businesses. 7-11. Dunkin Donuts. And people that need help. And I’ve owned a business in Squantum for quite a while so I’m all for it,” said Dave Flannery, who owns Squantum Auto Service.
Resident Richard Stohberg is opposed.
“I own property here. I don’t want to see the bridge going up,” he said.
Stohlberg has lived near the bridge’s former entrance for over 60 years and remembers the traffic it brought before being demolished in 2014.
“If I want to get out of here, I’ve got to look both ways. Now all of a sudden I look the opposite way…. Boom ! Here comes somebody. They don’t want to stop!” he added.
“The decisions this week are the latest affirmation of Boston’s approach to exploring the potential of Long Island to connect our residents with substance use disorder services and housing supports,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu told NBC10 Boston.
"Well that’s a great political answer. But what she didn’t say is that that whole island will not be developable. And what we want here in Quincy is to know that there’s a commitment that that island will not be developed. That it will only be used for the addiction center that she wants to create," At-large Quincy councilor Anne Mahoney said.
Mahoney said she supports helping substance abuse patients, but opposes Boston’s potential plans for additional development on the island for those who don’t need aid.
"For high-end people who want to go live on that island," she said.
Still, she wants the communities to come together on a plan.
"At the end of the day, I know that here in Quincy, we want to help people who have problems. And we want to help people in other communities too. But if we’re not going to have a seat at the table to be able to do those things, then I think we’re not focused on the right thing."
