Malden planning board OKs Rainbow Adult Day Health Center at Broadway Plaza

The Malden Planning Board on Wednesday granted a special permit allowing Rainbow Adult Daycare Center of Malden LLC to open an adult day health center at 54 Broadway in Broadway Plaza.

The board approved the permit by roll-call vote after a motion by Ken Antonucci and a second from Pat Hayes; the motion passed with all voting members present voting yes. The vote follows a staff report, a peer review of a traffic impact study and testimony from the petitioner and the property owner.

Board staff and the petitioner told the board the center would occupy roughly 19,756 square feet of an approximately 27,000-square-foot storefront and could be built out to serve up to 200 participants at full capacity. Attorney Patrick McDonnell, representing the petitioner, said the business would operate Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., use a fleet of shuttle vans to transport participants, and maintain medical staff as required by the Commonwealth.

"They could help as many as 200 people, if allowed to go forward," McDonnell said, describing the facility's maximum capacity and business model.

Why it matters: the board found the proposed use would meet local special-permit standards if the conditions recommended by planning staff and the city's peer reviewer are met. Those conditions are intended to reduce traffic and safety risks, clarify parking and snow-storage arrangements, and require updated site plans and on-site improvements before or soon after opening.

Key facts and conditions

- Use and capacity: Rainbow will operate an adult day health center licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and intends to provide on-site medical staff; state rules require one registered nurse per 25 clients, the petitioner said.

- Hours and services: Proposed hours are 7:30 a.m.‒4 p.m., Monday‒Saturday. Operators said most participants spend about five to six hours on-site, with occasional supervised outings…