City of Malden
Malden City Hall
215 Pleasant Street Malden, MA 02148
Meeting Minutes - Final Rules & Ordinance Committee
Councillor Winslow, Chair
Councillor Colon Hayes, Vice-Chair
- Councillor Crowe
- Councillor Linehan
- Councillor O'Malley
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
6:15 PM
215 Pleasant Street
Room 105
Malden, MA 02148
Watch the meeting with Teams: https://tinyurl.com/pdnmt428
A quorum of the City Council may be present at this meeting. While no formal votes or actions are anticipated by the City Council, members may participate in the discussion of topics listed on this agenda. This notice is filed to ensure compliance with the Open Meeting Law should a quorum of the parent body be present.
Chair Winslow called the meeting to order at 6:19 PM.
Roll Call
Also in attendance was the OSPCD staff, Prasanna Rajasekaran, Zaheer Samee, Maria Luise, Michelle Romero, and Councillors Taylor, McDonald, Simonelli, and Condon.
Present: 5 - Stephen Winslow, Karen Colon Hayes, Peg Crowe, Amanda Linehan and Ryan
O'Malley
Minutes to be Approved
378-26
Minutes for the meeting of June 23, 2026
A motion was made by Councillor Colon Hayes, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Committee Minutes be approved. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.
Business
335-26
Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 12.12.300 INCLUSIONARY ZONING is hereby amended by striking the ordinance in its entirety and inserting the following:
Sponsors: Stephen Winslow Attachments: IZ Section-By-Section Attachment A
IZ OSPCD Cover letter
IZ Study Report
IZ Section-By-Section with Summary for CC distribution
Amended Language, Section H June 23 2026 335-26
CCP 335-26 PB Report
CCP 335- 2026 PBR 8.26 wAtt
IZ Feasibility Study by RKG FINAL 335-26
IZ presentation for CC 335-26
Recom. Amendments 335-26 on Sept 15 2026
Bldg Comm_City Plr Memo on 335-26 10.1.26
OSPCD InclusionaryZoning Slides 335&335A on October 6
Discussion on this paper began with the realization that the paper should be split according to M.G.L. c. 40A, s. 5 which states, 'Any amendment that requires a simple majority vote shall not be combined with an amendment that requires a two-thirds majority vote.' All members of the committee agreed to split the paper and a formal vote to do so was not required.
Of the original paper, Section F. Incentives and three definitions from Section B will be split off into the second paper which will be numbered 335A-26. The three definitions from Section B are Inclusionary Project, Mixed-Income Project, and Affordable Project. The details of the split paper (335A-26) will require only a simple majority of 6 out of 11 votes to pass. The remainder of the amendments left with the original paper (335-26) will require a 2/3 majority of 8 out of 11 votes to pass.
Commenting on behalf of the Planning Board, City Planner Michelle Romero stated that the PB recommendation was disapproval in full and sent the paper back for redrafting to look at four major areas of concern: parking requirements for all units, incentives in the Residence A zoning district, height incentives, and reduction from 15 to 10% of required mandatory affordable housing units. The PB recommendation is attached to the history of Paper 335-26.
Additionally Planner Romero noted, in response to Councillor O'Malley's question, that the proposed paper would change use regulations without changing the use table. So, when trying to understand the standard findings the Planning Board would need to consider for a special permit, there is no clarity as to under which section the special permit for a given project would come. Councillor O'Malley agreed there should be clearly written standard findings for any building projects trigged by this ordinance.
Giving consideration to the feedback being heard throughout this ordinance process, OSPCD staff made a recommendation to amend sub-section M NEEDS ASSESSMENT REVIEW to indicate housing market assessments and financial feasibility analysis shall be completed at least every five years instead of not less than every five years. That recommendation was accepted.
A motion was made by Councillor Colon Hayes, seconded by Councillor Linehan, that the Ordinance be amended. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.
A motion was made by Councillor Linehan, seconded by Councillor Colon Hayes, that the Ordinance be tabled. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.
335A-26
Be it ordained by the Malden City Council that the Code of the City of Malden (MCC) 12.12.300 INCLUSIONARY ZONING is hereby amended by including a new sub-section that shall be titled F. INCENTIVES
Sponsors: Stephen Winslow
Attachments: OSPCD InclusionaryZoning Slides 335&335A on October 6
Discussion on this paper began with the realization that the paper should be split according to M.G.L. c. 40A, s. 5 which states, 'Any amendment that requires a simple majority vote shall not be combined with an amendment that requires a two-thirds majority vote.' All members of the committee agreed to split the paper and a formal vote to do so was not required.
Of the original paper, Section F. Incentives and three definitions from Section B will be split off into the second paper which will be numbered 335A-26. The three definitions from Section B are Inclusionary Project, Mixed-Income Project, and Affordable Project. The details of the split paper (335A-26) will require only a simple majority of 6 out of 11 votes to pass. The remainder of the amendments left with the original paper (335-26) will require a 2/3 majority of 8 out of 11 votes to pass.
Giving consideration to the feedback being heard throughout this ordinance process, OSPCD staff made a recommendation to increase parking requirements from 0.75 to 1 parking space per unit in projects under the use category of Mixed-Income Project. Councillor Crowe instead suggested deleting that category all together from the Use Chart and definitions as is currently proposed for sub-section F INCENTIVES in 12.12.300. Her motion was seconded and approved.
A motion was made by Councillor Crowe, seconded by Councillor Linehan, that the Ordinance be amended. The motion carried by a 4-1 voice vote. Councillor O'Malley dissenting.
A motion was made by Councillor Linehan, seconded by Councillor Crowe, that the Ordinance be tabled. The motion carried by a unanimous vote.
Adjournment
A motion was made by Councillor Linehan, seconded by Councillor O'Malley, that this meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.
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