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Council accepts planning board recommendations and tables floodplain ordinance changes ahead of new FEMA maps
Summary
The council accepted planning board recommendations to update Malden’s floodplain zoning definitions to conform with FEMA requirements and voted to table the ordinance for review by the city solicitor and building commissioner before enrollment. New FEMA maps take effect July 8, prompting the timeline.
The Malden City Council accepted recommended amendments from the Planning Board on May 20 to update the city’s floodplain zoning language so properties remain eligible for FEMA‑sponsored flood insurance under new federal maps scheduled to take effect July 8.
Councilor Winslow, presenting the planning board communication, said the Department of Conservation and Recreation and FEMA recommended formatting and definition changes to the city’s zoning ordinance to ensure continued eligibility for flood insurance programs once new FEMA flood maps take effect. The proposed changes add required definitions and clarify that the definitions apply to the floodplain district only.
Winslow asked the council to send the amended ordinance to the city solicitor and building commissioner for review and then to table the paper so those offices can provide comments before the council enrolls the ordinance. The council approved the recommendation and tabled the item to permit legal and building‑department review.
Why it matters: FEMA’s new maps have a July 8 effective date. Municipal zoning must meet certain regulatory standards to preserve property owners’ eligibility for federal flood insurance programs; the Planning Board recommended a limited set of technical ordinance edits to meet those standards.
The council’s action was procedural: it accepted the Planning Board’s recommended text changes, instructed staff to forward the draft to the city solicitor and building commissioner for technical review, and tabled the paper pending that review. The paper will return for enrollment after the solicitor and building official submit any comments.
Ending: City staff and legal counsel will review the draft language and return to the council so the city can meet FEMA’s timeline if edits are necessary to maintain eligibility for federal flood insurance.
