Title
Communication from the Planning Board relative to 541-15 (Moratorium on Multifamily Residential Dwellings)
Dear Councilors:
On November 18, 2015, the Planning Board and City Council Ordinance Committee jointly held a public hearing regarding the above-referenced proposed amendment.
As a result of the public hearing, a majority of the Planning Board, namely, six of those nine members present, voted to recommend to the City Council adoption of the proposed amendment as submitted and revised as follows (revisions emphasized):
“Notwithstanding the foregoing, no special permit, variance, site plan approval or building permit shall be issued for construction or creation of any multi-family residential dwelling unit containing five units or more, commencing on the first date of publication of notice of this ordinance amendment and ending one year from the date of final enactment of this amendment; provided that this provision shall not apply to any application filed for or special permit, site plan approval, variance or subsequent corresponding building permit or building permit granted on or before the first publication of notice of this ordinance amendment; and provided further that this provision shall not apply to property located in the Central Business District, the Rowe’s Quarry Reclamation District, or the Malden Center Revitalization Housing Development Incentive Zone, as established on December 9, 2014.
The foregoing moratorium is imposed to allow the City time to undertake studies and obtain citizen input on the impacts of increased population and density and adequacy of the City’s infrastructure and financial ability to accommodate increased population and density, the scope of said studies and source(s) of funding to be determined during the public hearing process prior to enactment of this ordinance amendment , and to consider amendments to the ordinance.”
The minutes of the joint public hearing will be made available at your request. For your reference, attached please find the Planning Report & Recommendation dated November 18, 2015, which was presented at the hearing.
Finally, please be advised, that, if the City Council fails to act on the amendment within 90 days of the date the public hearing closed, a new duly advertised public hearing must be held. Accordingly, the final date for action is February 16, 2016.
I am available to discuss and answer any questions regarding the amendment and the Planning Board’s recommendation. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Michelle A. Romero, City Planner