Stonington — A packed house at the Stonington Community Center listened Monday night to the four candidates for first selectman and selectman discuss issues ranging from coastal resiliency and Mystic parking to completing the Mystic River Boathouse Park.

The debate, which was sponsored by The Day, was the only time that the candidates for first selectman — Republican Selectman John Prue and the Democratic-endorsed candidate, unaffiliated voter Danielle Chesebrough — will debate before the Nov. 5 election. Also participating were the two selectman candidates, Democrat June Strunk and Republican Deborah Downie.

The top two vote-getters among Strunk, Downie and the losing first selectman candidate will join the winning first selectman candidate on the three-person Board of Selectmen.

While the candidates agreed that the town should move forward with the stalled project to develop the boathouse park property, Prue said the town "did not do its due diligence in advance" of having voters approve $2.2 million in bonding to buy and develop a public park. Environmental contamination and historical building issues have slowed the development.

"It's a lesson we learned. We can pick up the pieces and move forward. Get the park done and the boathouse built,” he said.

Downie, who is a licensed environmental professional and has worked on cleaning up contaminated properties, pointed out she did not support the purchase of the site because of concerns about the contamination.

When asked about how to deal with the shortage of parking in downtown Mystic, Chesebrough called it a manageable problem and said the town should begin with a comprehensive parking and traffic study that would engage residents.

She said some possibilities she has heard include parking behind Acme Wire and the Hoxie firehouse, acquiring property behind Friendly’s on Route 27, water taxis and trolleys.

"There’s a lot of opportunities we haven’t tried yet,” she said.

Prue said the town could look at resident-only parking on some streets but added there is no “magic wand” to make the parking shortage go away.

Two questions involved the controversial and ultimately unsuccessful Smiler’s Wharf project proposed for the Seaport Marine property in Mystic.

Prue said he is “100 percent committed” to getting the property redeveloped but said any project needs to fit the scale and scope of the surrounding neighborhood. He said he would like to see a world-class marina on the site, as that would bring in tourists without generating more car traffic.

Downie, a school board member who also has served on the Inland Wetlands Commission and Water Pollution Control Authority, said there needs to be a lot more conversations with residents to understand their concerns when it comes to issues such as traffic and coastal resiliency.

Chesebrough, a Board of Finance member who also serves on the Economic Development Commission, said the community conversations the EDC has had with residents and businesses need to be expanded to bring in other boards and residents to help solve issues.

All four candidates praised the work of former Director of Planning Jason Vincent, who recently stepped down to take a job in Norwich. They also said that because of the town’s fiscal responsibility over the years, a healthy surplus and its excellent bond rating, it is well positioned to weather the expected eventual elimination of state education aid, which now totals $1.3 million. They also agreed the town has to continue to increase its grand list in a way that preserves the town’s character.

The candidates also were asked about addressing projected sea level rise and the need for coastal resiliency.

Chesebrough and Strunk, who chairs the Board of Finance, said one of the first things they would do would be to assign tasks to the Climate Change Task Force based on recommendations in the town’s coastal resiliency study.

“The plan has been stagnant. We need to make it a priority,” Chesebrough said.

Prue said coastal resiliency is a “front-burner issue” for the town but has suggested the town needs to also look at data from the United Nations' climate change study and New London Harbor data to determine just how fast the water is rising. Prue said he feels the projections in the town study may be on the high end compared to other studies.

The candidates also said they would favor a charter revision effort to study issues such as implementing a town manager form of government. Prue said he supports increasing the Board of Selectmen to five members while Chesebrough favors term limits for selectmen.

As for what to do with the contaminated Stillman Avenue mill site, Strunk pointed out the town does not yet own it.

“But we do have the responsibility to do something with a contaminated property so close to the (Pawcatuck) river,” she said.

The candidates also were asked about their leadership style and joked that they could not match that of quotable Republican First Selectman Rob Simmons, a former congressman, who is not seeking reelection.

Prue said his style is to identify a problem and seek a solution.

“My style is decisive. I’m a low-key person. I just want to get the job done,” he said, adding that he has “the experience to lead on Day 1."

Chesebrough said her style is one of collaborative leadership, adding that “when we listen to each other and challenge each other, we come up with good solutions.”

“But in the end, you have to make decisions for the good of the town,” she said.

j.wojtas@theday.com