Marching Together for a Better Malden Malden Vol. 28, No. 37 -FREETuesday, Sept. 17 is Primary Election Day – Get Out & Vote! ADVOCATE www.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Thoughts remain with FDNY on 18th anniversary of 9/11 617-387-2200 Friday, September 13, 2019 Melrose-Wakefield Healthcare nixes condo plan for hospital site By Barbara Taormina R esidents hoping to see the Malden Hospital site redeveloped for the community’s use and benefit received some good news from Medford this week. Medford Mayor Stephanie Muccini Burke posted a letter on her Facebook page from Sue Sandberg of MelroseWakefield Healthcare, which appears to clear the way for new proposals for the 18Fire Department Captain Eric DeAvilla leads his firefighters in the annual ceremony acknowledging the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. See page 3 for story and photo highlights. (Advocate photo by Tara Vocino) Malden schools confront racial inequity By Barbara Taormina M alden has taken some significant steps towards ensuring racial equity and inclusion in city schools. In his report to the School Committee this week, Superintendent John Oteri described a list of strategies and programs the district has adopted to address racial bias and discrimination. The school district’s struggles with discrimination and racial inequity were brought to the forefront over the summer by Malden Community Organizing for Racial Equity (MaldenCORE). The group organized downtown rallies and proposed a slate of reforms that include hiring more teachers of color to reflect the diversity of the student population, providing ongoing antiracism and cultural competency training for teachers and staff $3.39 $2.40 GALLON GALLON We accept: MasterCard * Visa * & Discover Price Subject to Change without notice 100 Gal. Min. 24 Hr. Service 781-286-2602 and expanding the curriculum to include more material related to the many cultures represented by students. Although members of MaldenCORE acknowledged there have been some attempts to address racism and racial inequity in city schools, it’s not clear if the extent of those efforts is widely known and understood. “I’ve been working on this since I got here,” said Oteri, who CONFRONT | SEE PAGE 7 acre hospital site. “As CEO of MelroseWakefield Healthcare, I am writing to let you know that we have concluded our relationship with the Fellsmere Housing Group and will no longer be pursuing their proposal for the site, as we have seen and heard neighbors’ concerns about density and traffic,” wrote Sandberg. “We are evaluating options for future use of the site, and we will re-engage with the community and initiate dialogue as we move forward,” she added. Sandberg’s letter marks a new direction for the health care organization, which signed a purchase and sales agreement with the Fellsmere Group in 2014 and, until this week, has supported the group’s proposal to build a mix of 18 single-family homes, 18 town houses and 214 condos on the site, which is located primarily in Malden with a small section of the parcel stretching into North Medford. Since landing in Malden, Fellsmere Housing Group faced a series of roadblocks beginning with the city’s moratorium on residential development, which forced the developers to sit on their proposal for two years. When they were finally able to pursue their plan, they found limited support for the zoning changes needed to move forward with the project. Once the hospital building comes down, the site will revert to residential zoning for single family homes. The City Council rejected a call to send a rezoning proposal to the Ordinance Committee to begin a review that might ultimately open the door to the project. Meanwhile, the Planning Board voted against MelroseWakefield’s three applications for approval of a preliminary subdivision plan for the site, which were filed on behalf of the developer. And the Fellsmere Housing Group faced other hurdles. Over the past five years, residents have turned up the volume on calls for limits on residential housing projects that would increase traffic and density and put pressure on existing infrastructure and city schools and services. Many residents have also become more vigilant about protecting and preserving the city’s few remaining parcels of open space. More recently, the city has focused on the need to develop more affordable housing, and Fellsmere Housing Group’s proposal did not include any affordable units. In her letter, Sandberg did not mention the many obstacles Fellsmere Housing Group faced in pursuing its proposal. Instead, she emphasized MelroseWakefield Healthcare’s commitment to the health and well-being of the communities it serves. And unlike the past, when it declined to give community advocates a seat at the table to discuss an alternative plan for the hospital site, MelroseWakefield Healthcare is now listening. “We look forward to working collaboratively with you and our neighbors on the future of the Malden Hospital site,” Sandberg said.
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