Welcome to the latest installment of Neighborhood View’s good news roundup, where we gather what our reporters have seen and heard around the city. Got good news? Drop us a line or learn how to become a community journalist.
Why is a BiSON roaming Malden’s woodlands and bike paths?
This bison isn’t a hairy beast searching for grass, but you may find it in our woods and parks, or even on the bike path. In this case, the zookeeper is the Malden Fire Department and the animal is their new small utility vehicle with super powers, purchased with a $68,000 Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation grant.
Neighborhood View got a peek at the BiSON just as Deputy Chief Rick Menard was giving City Councilor Amanda Linehan a tour. Menard provided a rundown where that name came from.
B is for bike path. The BiSON can get onto the Northern Strand without waiting for someone to arrive with the keys to take down the pole that stops larger vehicles from getting through. That’s critical given the rise of battery-operated vehicles, whose higher speeds can create increased trauma in an accident. A special stretcher on the back of BiSON can provide immediate transport to an ambulance, even over rough terrain.
If Snow prevents one of Malden’s engine trucks from getting through, firefighters can mount the BiSON’s special plow and come to the rescue.
O is for outside fires. “Whether it’s up in Waitt’s Mount, whether it’s up behind Forestdale Cemetery, the Pine Banks area — we have a lot of woods that we’re responsible for over on the west side, up in the Middlesex Fells Reservation,” said Menard. A 50-gallon water tank and a hose that can be attached to a fire hydrant, plus high clearance and big off-road tires, should help put out brush fires quickly. And the cab is air conditioned, so firefighters can help someone suffering from heat exhaustion.
Neighborhood events like the Farmer’s Market can also be tricky to navigate, Menard says. “Say, God forbid, a truck catches on fire,” he said. “We can get there first.”
If you see this BiSON in the wild, don’t run for cover. This is one beast you’ll be glad to see charging to the rescue. — Reporting by Kim Brookes
Malden Lands $11M Housing Grant Ahead of Community Planning Workshop
Malden is celebrating a major award of $11 million for housing at Overlook Ridge. Thanks to advocacy by city staff with state leadership, this investment will support a mix of affordable rental units and condos for homeownership. To increase transportation capacity in tandem with that population growth, the grant also finances upgrades of the Overlook Drive and Salem Street intersection. Plans are to connect the shared-use path along Overlook Ridge Drive to the Northern Strand Community Trail while creating MBTA bus stops on both sides of Salem Street.
In total, the funding unlocks 617 housing units across Malden and Revere. That mix includes 51 condos designed for working families and 99 units set aside for people 55 and older. Alex Pratt, director of OSPCD, said the city worked with Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll to carve out some funding for units available for purchase. This was possible given the scale of the new construction across two cities.
Want to help make sure future residential and commercial development aligns with the community’s priorities? Drop by the Malden Together Community Planning Workshop on Saturday, Nov. 7. This event marks the public kickoff for Malden’s comprehensive plan, a collaborative effort that will shape the city’s long-term vision. We at Neighborhood View hope to see you there. — Reporting by Lorna Garey
Be the first to comment