[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6084036,"mediaKeyId","2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5","parentId",2924525,"title","Votes at a glance: referrals, appointments and orders from Malden City Council meeting","audioSeconds",4958,"startMs",650670,"endMs",5609559,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5&start=650&end=5609","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5/thumbnail_650670.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6084036/Malden-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-referrals-appointments-and-orders-from-Malden-City-Council-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084036-b0ae417d1fb4d512c01c5235fb753e3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437016&Signature=MBF3MYoEUOFOdSljPwGRk39ysd~F~fWwTwYMfCyyhYy90ELEaIActPMErv3O2WVAKHG4IVHNcR7Qhfzvr5F6I75S8Cb6GLRDVTHh6zna6mlsOCchs2tWtkup-k1IE5E8idWZUQPObdd0OY3AHvjtbmEAOH097rWRdCFcFqaHGb-JzX526QM7lIPt3jnQu6kmCzbFiSb3233~sNnm8QR9OknzgDHSmyI43FjzEUQspgiChRXJ07ZdnPZLYNTXdNjtS0JKxi6BGR9RG9n78AN94ho2k7twmii112gjZdW-BbF5YWV2tEDvI28sqG3qJwRR2oTVGLe-WP1zUjZJl-ig6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Malden City, MA","date","2025-04-09T12:50:53Z","article","Key recorded council actions from the April 15 Malden City Council meeting (selected items):

- Consent agenda: Approved (minutes, appointments referred to committees, and orders referred to finance). Roll call recorded unanimous approval.

- Paper 171-25 (MBTA Communities zoning amendment): Referred unanimously to a joint ordinance and planning board hearing for public comment and review (see separate article for details).

- Floodplain ordinance (April '25 paper): Referred unanimously to a joint ordinance and planning board hearing to update local floodplain regulations to match FEMA model ordinances so affected areas remain eligible for FEMA flood insurance programs. The council asked that the joint hearing consider engineering-department implementation and state model language.

- Paper 170-325 (Crescent Lane parcel): Council adopted an order unanimously directing the city solicitor to draft documents to permanently designate the roughly 11,868-square-foot city-owned lot on Crescent Lane as public open space/conservation land and to prepare a conservation restriction to be recorded at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds.

- Paper 174-25 (CDBG consolidated plan & HUD filings): Referred unanimously to the finance committee; administration to supply contingency budget materials and HUD submission language. HUD submission deadline referenced as May 15; contingency budgeting approach discussed.

- Paper 74-25 (Community Preservation Act appropriation for St. Paul's Parish envelope assessment, $14,500): Motion to appropriate recommended by finance/CPC but was tabled by council for additional legal guidance from the city solicitor; no final appropriation vote taken.

- Meeting schedule: Council voted unanimously to convert next week’s committee-of-the-whole meeting into a full council meeting to accommodate zoning and departmental reorganization papers.

- Appointments and confirmations: The council confirmed multiple mayoral appointments and reappointments (planning-board full members and associate-to-full promotions; Commission on Climate Action and Sustainability appointees; Disability Commission appointment). Roll calls recorded unanimous confirmation for those listed.

For full context and verbatim excerpts, see the separate articles in this package that cover the MBTA zoning amendment, Crescent Lane conservation order, and the CPC appropriation debate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Malden City Council 4-8-25","oneSentenceSummary","Summary of key votes: consent agenda approved; MBTA zoning and floodplain ordinance amendments referred to joint hearings; Crescent Lane conservation order adopted; CDBG plan referred to finance; CPC appropriation tabled; multiple appointments confirmed.","taxTitle","Malden City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",5722,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6084041,"Council tables Community Preservation grant for St. Paul's parish after legal questions about church funding",1060,3923895,4984260,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5&start=3923&end=4984","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5/thumbnail_3923895.jpg","/articles/6084041/Malden-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Council-tables-Community-Preservation-grant-for-St-Pauls-parish-after-legal-questions-about-church-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084041-815a2ddfe6d78027cf217e8a487009af/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437016&Signature=gYmdMKCccAxjoqdpbjBOrYHVxMSuI6mnUq6~x5aCMtcwqolXi42byg2fe9ycd7M-y3OBECLSZZSQIU-CLiifwpAeohTOyY7C~-b9-pvVy0r3Tu8WaEBRwlyB0QkLTV3ess7tzkLSbDJx61ab5u5hdpyJZebLDOveCXL2umhYziGTHO-L2CmKZI39ag1u1vNsdLpB2O1MufJfCz6uIkxKrN3TU37YaPt6rZ22u7rwp4xHAEhDjXaJMmq9hKs2pFtxh4gY9HJHUzLwacYG8nRA0TQ7STtMSwguJu0Zg8mWzOe8l3ZL-ZAw5pnW4zjJwP3zGA-XsMr11G1pB3kyXuLOuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Malden City Council on April 15 tabled an order (Paper 74-25) that would have appropriated $14,500 from the Community Preservation Act (CPA) fund for St. Paul's Parish envelope assessment. The finance committee had recommended the appropriation with a condition that any funded work not be used solely for religious purposes.

Councilor McDonald, who presented the committee recommendation, said the parish’s historic building is used for community events in addition to worship and that the committee sought a narrowly tailored award for an exterior envelope assessment. The council heard legal analysis from City Solicitor Seher (first name used in the meeting) who summarized state and federal legal constraints: Massachusetts’ anti-aid/anti-aid-amendment history and recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions affect how municipalities may treat applications from religious organizations. The solicitor told the council the legal area \"is a minefield\" and that recent federal decisions have moved the law in a direction that makes categorical refusals riskier for municipalities.

Councilor Simonelli asked bluntly whether the city is allowed to give money to churches. The solicitor responded that the law is unsettled nationally and that municipalities should proceed cautiously; the finance committee added a condition restricting use of CPA funds for items whose \"sole purpose is religious.\" Several councilors noted the long discussion and legal memos the CPC and city staff reviewed before the recommendation.

After extended debate — including members who cautioned that awarding funds to one house of worship could raise requests from many congregations — Councilor Cica moved to table the appropriation so the council could receive additional legal clarity and briefings; the motion to table was seconded and carried without recorded opposition.

The appropriation remains on the table pending additional legal guidance from the solicitor and further committee consideration. Councilors asked the solicitor to provide memos outlining constitutional risks, precedents (including the Acton litigation referenced in CPC discussion), and recommended language to protect public funds from being used for exclusively religious worship activities.","Councilors debated whether Community Preservation Act funds can support a historic church envelope assessment; the finance committee recommended $14,500 but, after legal and constitutional questions, the council voted to table the appropriation for further review and memos from the city solicitor.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6084044,"Council designates Crescent Lane lot as conservation land after neighborhood push",714,2609945,3324565,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5&start=2609&end=3324","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5/thumbnail_2609945.jpg","/articles/6084044/Malden-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Council-designates-Crescent-Lane-lot-as-conservation-land-after-neighborhood-push","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084044-e4fddc73bbab8805cd601994a0fdcf7a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437016&Signature=DEwYtt~82qgaF3jJLAmjMYTGKL5N83Hgn2rz6cL284TcmPyUrPpnEPHwyYCAP6ZCq5hIaZFDK4AaMiL~VIPlMTJ29svffLz-zydPCOddNIVHWBhPRKyyIoxA3HwTJqyvyGB-kd8UjG-3e8YvDetQ0MSyKKrYrYLZu2KDEkRHJxissFjebD8sg0Au27o~--oGDIHyKuI7ZUswQZwEx5hJfV77pUqn-kqRpo32nVDqJ7V1SjdLekA5NWO2q2DefWwz0pBmkHLKxki7IVFnajkcd0A~zgS4NHChGSVm08oy-7sB2fsn0K5xF175P0TksQ6B2jR5Gw10oi76Ne4UdMTYrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Malden City Council unanimously adopted an order (Paper 170-325) directing the city solicitor to prepare the legal documents necessary to declare an 11,868-square-foot, city-owned lot on Crescent Lane as permanent public open space and conservation land.

Neighbors and volunteers have maintained and restored the parcel for several years, and resident Brent Roby (identified in the public record as living at 58 Crescent Lane) told the council the neighborhood has been working on the site since 2021 and used a Community Preservation Act grant to get a survey completed. \"It's really quite a remarkable place,\" Roby said during public comment, describing steep topography, boulders, and volunteer-built steps and invasive-species removal work.

Councilor Winslow, who brought the order forward, said the directive will ask the city solicitor’s office to draft documents so the conservation committee or an appropriate entity can hold a conservation restriction in perpetuity and record it at the Middlesex Registry of Deeds. Winslow said the aim is to create a template for converting other undeveloped city parcels with unclear status into formally protected conservation or open-space land.

Council discussion highlighted the complexity of title and tax-title status on some city parcels and the legal pathways available for permanent protection. Councilor McDonald and others asked for a memo from the law department outlining different designations (for example, conservation land, conservation restriction/easement, or park) and the implications for public access, funding eligibility, and maintenance responsibilities. Winslow and members said surveys and title work completed through the neighborhood’s CPA-backed effort made this particular parcel a suitable first candidate.

The council voted in favor of the order with no recorded opposition. The solicitor’s office is now directed to draft the necessary documents and to work with the conservation committee or other appropriate entity to prepare a conservation restriction and file it at the registry of deeds upon council approval and mayoral signature.","Council adopted an order directing the city solicitor to prepare documents to permanently protect an 11,868-square-foot city-owned lot on Crescent Lane as public open space and to pursue a conservation easement; the motion passed unanimously after public comment from a neighborhood resident who has led restoration efforts.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6084051,"Malden council refers MBTA Communities zoning amendments after planner explains state comments",1564,674435,2238714,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5&start=674&end=2238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2924525-f885388c3e6c1d0714965d03d582b5e5/thumbnail_674435.jpg","/articles/6084051/Malden-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Malden-council-refers-MBTA-Communities-zoning-amendments-after-planner-explains-state-comments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6084051-563bdadbdd71a6315b0ae4ba4af89624/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437016&Signature=fxkNILnuzCWlJDwx6qR0IJtq00BukRyqhVUPHd4HXOoS~uCeThcvAgedF8IwEd1t2q59TY-0E8OEkDTp5Pfn9pBAH3voY1py8MFMnLbjSkyWlnUIGteAGeFOVZe~o3CFAXK7C0OSrETelNEt2PDWNxwkczeCmx81M9q~pxDnl7GKMkkIxuViD4ZodkQITNzXTM2uVoU-Ylc0-mx-yu3odyVImBExtrbIn3KIyx-4rojAfceg5Q6ANQMmOjwD63iGvGA12RK6brz70zEpTetqR5VGkgFRtCPR2J8szax~olZeIaQ2HwMjI5NprWMfNG8Hqt5KySHMflX7KDQRjRP~Zw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Malden City Council on April 15 voted unanimously to refer proposed amendments to the city’s MBTA Communities zoning (Paper 171-25) to a joint ordinance and planning board public hearing after city planning staff explained state review comments and recommended edits.

City Planner Michelle Romero told the council the city submitted its district compliance application by the December 31, 2023 deadline and later received a determination from the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities that granted conditional compliance but required two specific changes. Romero said one required change was the removal of a numeric \"development cap\" from the medium-density multifamily overlay subdistrict (MCMOD–MD1); the second required removal of an effective-date clause that tied local enactment to final state approval. Romero said the administration adjusted district boundaries — removing 474 Broadway (the former Star Market, now Strata Apartments) and expanding acreage at the Overlook Ridge site — so the city would retain the same total unit capacity required by state law while deleting the numeric cap.

The planner noted the city’s overall unit capacity requirement under the state program remains 6,930 units and that the MD1 subdistrict had been assigned 1,582 units under the prior ordinance; she said the map and accompanying technical model were updated and resubmitted to the state for pre-review prior to the council vote.

Councilors pressed for clarification on practical effects of the map changes and whether the zoning changes would alter already permitted development at Overlook Ridge. Romero said the developer for the Overlook Ridge parcels holds site plan approval and special permits for upcoming buildings but has not yet filed for building permits; she said the MBTA overlay provisions primarily change what would be allowed by right under the new zoning, not the underlying dimensional limits the council previously approved. Romero also told the council the state required at least 50% of capacity within a half-mile radius of MBTA stations and that swapping parcels affects acreage and related calculations.

Councilor Winslow and other members praised the planner and administration for the lengthy technical work. Councilor Simone said she would move to refer the paper to a joint hearing so the public could comment; the motion was seconded, and the council voted unanimously to refer Paper 171-25 to a joint ordinance and planning board hearing.

The referral does not change city policy; it schedules a public hearing and additional committee review before the council would take final action.

The council asked that future hearings include analysis of impacts on the mandatory mixed-use (commercial) portions of MBTA districts and requested the administration provide more detail on any effects to commercial space requirements during the public hearing phase.","City planner and mayoral staff described state-required edits to Malden's MBTA Communities zoning, including removing a numerical development cap and changing an effective-date provision; council voted unanimously to refer the ordinance to a joint ordinance and planning board hearing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: referrals, appointments and orders from Malden City Council meeting

Council tables Community Preservation grant for St. Paul's parish after legal questions about church funding

Council designates Crescent Lane lot as conservation land after neighborhood push

Malden council refers MBTA Communities zoning amendments after planner explains state comments