Quincy mayoral contenders spar over environment

QUINCY - Mayor William Phelan and election challenger Tom Koch assumed their stances on the environment, reciting their green achievements and arguing over the bygone proposal to build a high school on an industrial landfill.

The debate Tuesday, sponsored by the Quincy Environmental Network, also gave candidates for city council ward seats a chance to outline their positions, even though only one candidate is running opposed.

Koch and Phelan spoke on the need for wind-turbine power, bicycle-friendly roads and preservation needs at Grossman Park, but most of their debate centered on two issues: the city’s plan to build a running track at Pageant Field and whether Koch once supported building the high school atop the industrial landfill on Quincy Avenue.

The tussle began when Koch said tearing down Pageant Field’s “majestic trees” to build a track would undo a $500,000 restoration project he oversaw as park commissioner, a position he resigned in January to run for mayor. He said the track was better suited elsewhere, naming the Quincy Point site as a possibility.

“Now he’s proposing to put our kids back up in a toxic waste dump,” Phelan responded, accusing Koch of publicly supporting former Mayor James Sheets’ ill-fated high school plan.

The moderator moved on to a question on the environmental impact of a major road project, but Koch, after briefly answering the question, said he needed to set the record straight. Koch accused the mayor of taking his public comments out of context and said he advised Sheets against the waste site, more for its location than the composition of its soil.

“Those are the facts,” Koch said.

He added, “If it’s that dangerous of a site, why haven’t you capped it, mayor? It’s been six years.”

Phelan said the site would be capped next year, but questioned using it for outdoor athletics. “My kids will never run on a track at that site,” he said.

Koch, citing institutions built on dumps such as the Granite Links golf course and state university athletic facilities, said an open-air track would be a safe use and bring value to worthless land.

“Why tear up Pageant Field, which already has tremendous value?” Koch said.

Fighting the proposed Quincy Avenue high school site was the central theme of Phelan’s first mayoral campaign in 2001.

The third-term mayor said that his administration has “the strongest environmental record in city history,” listing foremost a $33 million project under way to retrofit city buildings with energy-saving equipment. The modifications will slash carbon emissions and be equivalent to planting 825 acres of trees, Phelan said.

Phelan said he has made a priority of purchasing land to preserve as open space, restoring marshland and building a “green” high school. And he vowed to make Quincy the “environmental jewel of the state.”

Koch said preservation of open space and enhancing city parks has been a focal point of his 20 years in Quincy government. Koch said he co-wrote the city’s hotel-motel tax law, which has brought in millions of dollars for park improvements and open space acquisition. Koch said he began the city’s Neat Neighbor award program and Cleaner Greener Quincy, a program he oversaw for 17 years.

Candidates’ position papers on environmental issues were to be posted Wednesday on qenet.org.

John P. Kelly may be reached at jkelly@ledger.com.