Malden council refers dispute over Mystic Valley use of Trafton Park to public-properties committee

The Malden City Council on Monday voted to send a proposal about Mystic Valley Regional Charter School’s use of Trafton Park to the council’s public-properties committee and asked the city solicitor’s office to stand ready to enforce park rules while a multi-year permit is negotiated. The motion, moved by Councilor Winslow and seconded by Councilor Spadafore, carries after extended public comment and several councilors raised concerns about neighborhood access, maintenance and parity in fees.

The decision follows more than an hour of public comment from parents, neighbors and school staff who described conflicting accounts of how the park is used. Neil Kinnan, business manager for Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, told the council, "Mystic Valley contends the law is clear," and argued the school was being singled out under recently updated park rules; Rick Bayou, assistant superintendent for finance and operations at Mystic Valley, said the school was "seeking to be treated fair and consistent within the existing city." Councilor Winslow, who sponsored the paper, said the goal is clarity and balance: "We need it defined, and it needs to be under a permit."

Why it matters: Trafton Park is a neighborhood park newly renovated with public funds. Residents and ward councilors said heavy daytime use by school groups has crowded out parents, grandparents and younger children and strained the newly installed irrigation and turf. Supporters of the school said students deserve equitable access to public parks during school hours and contended the policy is being applied unevenly.

What happened at the meeting: Multiple speakers — including parents who said students in Mystic Valley uniforms had been monitored and photographed while using the park — urged the council to resolve whether charter-school use requires a permit, and if so under what terms. Ward councilor Winslow told the chamber he had worked with the recreation department and the school since 2022 and proposed a limited-cost contribution to maintenance; he said the $2,500-per-season figure in his letter derived from a DPW estimate for aeration, seeding and related maintenance to keep grass usable under high daily use. Councilors from across the chamber said they wanted a standardized, citywide approach rather than ad hoc ward-level deals.

Council action and next steps: The council voted to forward Mystic Valley’s permit application and Winslow’s proposal to the public-properties committee for detailed review, and the motion included direction that the city solicitor coordinate with the recreation and inspectional services departments to address unpermitted use of the park while the committee considers terms. The council president emphasized that the parks and recreation policy manual treats multi-year, high-intensity user permits as matters for council consideration, which is why the item was on the council floor rather than handled exclusively by staff.

Details and positions expressed: School representatives said they had asked for a waiver or reduced fee and described back-and-forth with the recreation director, including earlier offers of hourly rates and seasonal fees. Parents said Mystic Valley students include many Malden children and requested nondiscriminatory access. Several councilors cited the city’s limited park-maintenance budget and noted that the city invests public money in fields and playgrounds; councilors also raised that Mystic Valley owns several properties in Malden and does not pay municipal property taxes, an issue some suggested could be explored separately.

What was not decided: The council did not set hours, a final fee amount, or a multi-year permit; those specifics were referred to the public-properties committee. The council also did not make a final legal determination about whether state or federal grant conditions (cited during public comment) restrict fee or residency rules; public commenters referenced federal Land and Water Conservation Fund rules and a CMR citation, but the council directed staff, not the chamber, to handle statutory interpretation and enforcement if needed.

Context and procedural note: Councilors emphasized that public schools’ use of playgrounds on school property is not governed by the parks and recreation permit rules, a distinction the council president reiterated when ruling some arguments out of order. The council motion included instructions to the solicitor’s office to be prepared to act if the school used the park without a permit while the matter is resolved.

For now, Trafton Park will remain open to residents. The public-properties committee will schedule hearings with recreation staff, legal counsel, ward councilors, and representatives of Mystic Valley to define hours, maintenance responsibilities and any fee or contribution required to protect the park’s condition.