Planning board grants special permit for dental office at 267–273 Main St.; requires MBTA parking agreement

The Malden Planning Board voted 7–0 on Feb. 12 to grant a special permit allowing a dental office at 267–273 Main Street, a building that previously housed a restaurant and sits along the Northern Strand Community Trail.

The permit, granted with four conditions, permits only dental-office use, requires the petitioner to provide a copy of an agreement with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) for parking area use, allows only minor floor-plan modifications without returning to the board, and limits basement use to storage, utilities and the secure handling of medical waste. Michelle, Planning Department staff, told the board that the approved first-floor building area is 1,443 square feet and that, based on that figure, eight parking spaces are required under the city standard of 5.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet.

Why it matters: the property does not have on-site parking and sits on property lines; the petitioner presented an amended site plan showing an area on adjacent MBTA-owned land that could accommodate between seven and eight spaces. The board’s decision lays out conditions the applicant must meet before receiving a building permit and starts the 20-day appeal period once the decision is posted with the city clerk.

Louis Colton, the project architect, said the applicant will not expand the building footprint and described the proposal as “a family dental facility” that will renovate the existing structure rather than add square footage. He and petitioner Sameer Patel told the board the operation would open initially with one dentist on site, two dental assistants and two administrative staff. Sameer Patel said the practice expects to see about three to four patients per hour once operating.

The staff report and revised site plan dated Feb. 10, 2025, show a first-floor area of 1,443 square feet and a lot area of 1,539 square feet; the board and applicant discussed earlier discrepancies in submitted plans and the petitioner provided corrected drawings during the hearing. Michelle told the board the latest drawings and the supplemental basement plan are incorporated into the record.

Board members questioned parking access and hours of operation. The petitioners said patient hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on alternating Saturdays. On staffing and capacity, Sameer Patel said, “Initially, there's only gonna be 1 dentist working there.” Architect Colton explained the drawings were prepared to meet building-code requirements for toilet counts and that the square footage used for zoning and parking calculations reflects the revised site measurement.

The board’s motion to grant the special permit was made by Planning Board member Ken Antonucci and seconded by a board member who identified himself as Eric. In roll call the board recorded seven affirmative votes from Antonucci, Diane Chuha, Patrick Hayes, Eric Henry, Eric McCush, Ronnie Rajarama and Chuck Ayovan; the chair announced the motion passed 7–0. The board’s decision will be prepared and posted with the city clerk, starting a 20-day appeal period after posting; if there is no appeal the applicant may record the decision and seek building permits.

Votes at a glance: Special permit to allow medical center/dental office use at 267–273 Main Street — vote 7 yes, 0 no; conditions include finalized plans, a signed MBTA use agreement for parking area sufficient for eight spaces (or evidence meeting parking requirement), basement limited to storage/utilities/medical-waste handling, and permit limited to dental-office use only.

Proper names referenced in record: Malden Planning Board; MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority); Northern Strand Community Trail; Excel Dental (project plan set name); assessor parcel ID 076270003; application CMID-069763-2024.