Malden Ballot Questions Sweep On Election Day

In addition to the major positions that were up for election this year in Malden, there were three important questions on the ballot.

All three proposals passed by a significant margin.

Ballot question 1 proposed a one-year moratorium on a major housing construction project, which would include five units or more outside the Central Business District. It was approved 4,126-1,224. The question proposed the year be used to got a proper estimate of the population and density in Malden. The proposal is non-binding.

Ballot question 2 proposed that the city acquire the former Malden Hospital site to be used as a historic park and open space. The site has been vacant since the hospital closed in 1999. Public support for turning the area into a recreation space picked up steam after a developer proposed last fall that 398 housing units be built. The proposal was approved 4,315-1,320. It is advisory.

Ballot question 3 was the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which voters approved 3,365-2,149. It matches state funds with revenue from a local property tax surcharge to support affordable housing, historic preservation, open space and recreation projects. The local tax surcharge is 1 percent. The state match for local Community Preservation Act funds is dependent on revenue through the Registry of Deeds, but was 26 percent in 2014.

For more details on all the election results in Malden, follow this link