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Malden board keeps 800-square-foot minimum after tiny-home proposal
Summary
The Malden Planning & Zoning Board rejected a proposal for 576-square-foot tiny homes Oct. 24, 2025, voting to retain an 800-square-foot minimum for houses. Officials said the ordinance would need changing and neighbors previously opposed similar plans.
The Malden Planning & Zoning Board voted Oct. 24 to keep the city ordinance requiring a minimum house size of 800 square feet, effectively blocking a local proposal to build smaller "tiny" homes.
Butch Burrow told the board he was interested in building tiny homes in Malden and said the units would be "576 square feet each." Director of Public Safety Jeff Mitchell told the board that the current ordinance sets a minimum of 800 square feet for houses and that, if the board wanted to allow smaller units, the ordinance would have to be amended. Mitchell also said the board should consider how many units would be allowed per lot, appropriate siting, and neighbors' likely reactions; he noted that when tiny homes were discussed previously, some community members opposed them.
Board Member Larry Smith moved to leave the ordinance unchanged, and Board Member Dianna Rogers seconded the motion. The minutes record the motion as passed 4/0. The action preserves the existing minimum dwelling size and means any future tiny-home project would require a formal ordinance change, plus decisions about density and siting.
The board did not take further action on Burrow's proposal during the Oct. 24 meeting. The board adjourned at 12:32 p.m.
