The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-03-29

tablishnent OF Setback Lines In Con.
neetion With the Laying Out Of Street
Systems In Undsveloped or Suburban
Residenes 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
secretary, Robert III. Whltten. for the
establishment Of setback lines In con.
nection with the laying out Of street
systems I'm the undcveloped or subur.
ban residence sections. The commit
tee desires TO secure criticism OF the
plan by land developers and property
owners before taking any action. II
IL said that the use of the setback plan
would, In certain cases, reduce street
opening aud paving costs to be borne
by property owners, and also reduce
future street widening expense both
to the owners and to the city.
Mr.. WhittCn sums up the three pri.
mary advantages of the plan ns fol.
lows:
4 "First.-iIcalth, comfort and amen.
ity. in n private residence section
uniform setback from the street line
Increases the attrnctlvcncss Of the sec.
tlon nnd adds Ia the health aud com.
fort Of the inhabitants. IL improves
Hight nuS air conditions. makes pOs.
Elblc the front lawn With trees and
shade, removes tho dwelling further
from the noise, fumes and dust of tho
street. Where residences arc uniform.
iy set back from the street without the
al.
back line each owner is nt the mercy
OF his nolghbors. 4 single owner by
dlsrcgardlng the setback line may ruin
the entire block.
second. Economy OF initial devel.
opmcnt. Purely local residence streets
having scthncll line can be permitted
narrower width than could otherwise
be allowed This reduces development
expenses, not only in rs economy OF
land, but more markedly IN tic de.
creased outlay for paving. With a ten
foot setback standard sixty foot
street might be- reduced 90 forty feet.
This might be adequate FOR streets un.
der 500 feet IN length II developed
with single family houses. II later the
single family houses were replaced by
three or four story apartments the
street could easily he wldcned TO sixty |
feet 10 meet the Increased traffic re. |
quirements incidental Ia the more IN, .
tenslyc housing.
''Third.-EcOnomy OF ultimate devel- /
opment. The extension of the setback /
line viii permit tile economical widen .
ing OF traffic arteries whenever trafic /
needs require. II introduces n measure
OF adaptation aud elasticity IN street /
design that Is Of immense importance
IA view OF the almost prohlbitlve ex.
penso Of widening street once laid
out ana improved.
'The fixing Of the setback line now
Il the only practical method by which
the widening Of many trafiic arteries
can be secured In the future, when
greater width win assuredly be re-
quired," explains Mr., Whlttcn, These
arteries are now residence streets, aud
the houses have been set back In order
10 provide lawn and shade and "a re-
move them from the dust, fumes and
noise OF the street. They cannot be-
widened at present as the cutting on
OF the front lawns would in large meas
ure destroy the value of the dwellings
"Whcn, however traffic has so IN
creased that the street must be widen
Ell II Is more than likely that the street
will be NO longer desirable for private
residence purposes and private dwell
ings viii be- replaced either by apart
ments or hy business buildings. The
setback line can, therefore, be estab
llshed while the future traffic thorough
fare Is stil residence street, with
advantage 90 AN owners, uud 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 90 the advantage of the owners
"a street once established Is one of
the most permanent aud Interchangeable
features of the city structure. Huild-
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 aud magnitude from any that
could have been contemplated, at the
time these streets were opened This |
points to the deslrnhility of introducing
adaptahlity ana elasticity In street de-
sign. The setback line is IA means OF
securing It.
ain Washington aud in a number of
the cities aud town of Connecticut and
Massachusetts setback lines are estab-
lished under procedure similar 10 that I
used IN the laying out opening and |
acceptance of streets Boston has y
made considerable use OF the setback
line, but the greatest proSress has n
probably been made in Brookline. That n
town has adopted a policy OF making .
the establishment of setback line a
condition precedent TO the acceptance
Of the street by the town"
Civic Mediators. q
The arbitration Conanittee Of the o