The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-03-02
SETBACK L.......1:S
IN THE SUBURBS
investigator Explains Benefits
Of tho Plan.
ADOPTED BY MANY CITIES


nection With tho Laying Out Of Street
Systems In Undevelopsd or Suburban
Residence Sections.
A report has been presented to the
committee on the city plan OF the board
of estimate OF New York city by It's
,ecretary Robert II. Whitten, for the
establishment OF setback lines In con
Icctlon with the laying out OF street
;ystems I'm the undeveloped or subur-
lan residence sections. The commit
ce desires TO secure criticism OF the
,lan by land developers and property
,wners before taking any action. 1t
s said that the use OF the setback plan
would, I'm certain cases, reduce street
opening and paving costs to be borne
by property owners, and also reduce
future street widening expense both
to the owners and to the city.
Mr. Whitten sums up the three pri-
mary advantages OF the plan as fol.
lows:
"First.-Health, comfort and amen
ity. In a private residence section a
uniform setback from the street line
increases the attractiveness Of the sec.
ton and adds to the health and com
fort Of the inhabitants. 1t improves
light and air conditions, makes pos
sible the front lawn with trees and
shade, removes the dwelling further
from the noise, fumes and dust OF the
street. Where residences are uniform
ly set back from the street without the
establishment OF legally binding set
back line each owner Is at the mercy
OF his neighbors. A single owner by
dlsregarding the setback line may ruin
the entire block.
Second. Economy OF initial devel-
opment. Purely local residence streets
having setback line can be permitted
a narrower width than could otherwise
be allowed. This reduces development
expenses, not only In It's economy Of
land, but more markedly In the de-
creased outlay for paving. With ten
foot setback n standard sixty foot
street might be reduced to forty feet
This might be adequate for streets un-
der 500 feet I'm length II developed
with single family houses. If later the
single family houses were replaced by
three or four story apartments the
street could easily be widened to sixty
feet to meet the increased traffic re
quirements incidental to the more in
tensive housing.
'"Third.-Economy Of ultimate devel-
opment. The extension OF the setback
line will permit the economical widen
ing OF traffic arteries whenever traffic
needs require. 1t introduces "A measure
Of adaptation and elasticity I'm street
design that Is OF immense importance
I'm view OF the almost prohibitive ex-
pense of widening n street once laid
out and improved.
"The fixing Of the setback line now
is the only practical method by which
the widening OF many traffic arteries
can be secured in the future, when
greater width will assuredly be re-
quircd," explains Mr.. Whitten. "These
arteries are now residence streets. and
the houses have been set back In order
10 provide lawn and shade and to re-
move them from the dust. fumes and
noise Of the street. They cannot be
widcncd at present, as the cutting of
of the front lawns would I'm large meas
ure destroy the value Of the dwellings.
when. however, traffic has so in
creased that the street must be widen
ed it Is more than likely that the street
will be no longer desirable for private
residence purposes and private dwell
ings will be replaced either by apart
mcnts or by business buildings. The
setback line can, therefore, be estab-
llshed while the future traffic thorough
fare is still n residence street with
advantage To all owners. and when the
time comes To widen the street TO meet
traffic needs the setback can be taken
for street purposes and this, too, will
be To the advantage of the owners.
"a street once established Is one OF
the most permanent and Interchangeable
features of the city structure. Build
ings have come and gone but the street
lines of lower Manhattan have retain
ed most Of their original idiosyncracies.
This. too. In spite of the fact that the
burden imposed differs greatly In char
acter and magnitude from any that
could have been contemplated, at the
time these streets were opened. This
points To the dcsirability OF introducing
adaptabilit.. elasticity In street de-
sign. The setback line Is means OF
securing it
"In Washington and In number Of
the cities and town OF Connecticut and
Massachusetts setback lines are estab-
lishcd under procedure similar TO that
used I'm the laying out. opening and
acceptance Of streets. Boston has
msAe considerable use of the setback
'h,c. but the greatest progress has
probably been made I'm Brookline That
town has adopted policy OF making
the establishment Of setback line a
condition precedent TO the acceptance
OF the street by the town"