The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-04-21
SETBACK LINES
IN THE SUBURBS
Investigator Explains Benefits
Of The Plan.
ADOPTED BY MANY CITIES


Enlistment Of Setback Lines In Con-
n%ection With the Laying Out of Street
Systems In UndeveIoped 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 its
secretary, Robert II. Written, for the
establishment of setback lines In con
nection with the laying out of street
systems In the undeveloped Of subur-
ban residence sections. The commit
tee desires to secure criticism of the
plan by land developers and property
owners before taking any action. 1t
is said that the use of the setback plan
would, In 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.. Written sums up the three pri-
mary advantages of the plan as fol-
lows:
"First.-Health, comfort and amen
1ty. In a private residence section a
uniform setback from the street line
increases the attractiyeness 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, remove 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 g legally binding set
back line each owner is at the mercy
Of his neighbors. A single owner by
disregarding the setback line may ruin
the entire block.
"Second.-Economy of initial devel-
opment. Purely local residence streets
having a setback line can be permitted
a narrower width than could otherwise
be allowed. This reduces development
expenses, not only In its economy of
land, but more markedly in the de-
creased outlay for paving. With a ten
foot setback a standard sixty foot
street might be reduced to forty feet.
This might be adequate for streets IN
der 800 feet in 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-
q~uirements 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 In street
design that is of immense Importance
in view of the almost prohibitiye ex-
pense of widening a street once laid
out and improved.
1.-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-
quired,' explains Mr.. Written. 'These
arteries are now residence streets, and
the houses have been set back in order
W blONA 0S ia IL III oAtiNS oAA " ~
move them from the dust, fumes and
noise of the street. They canno be
widened at present, as the cutting of
Of the front lawns would in 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
It'll 10 80 INpr0, JOc;ro h1a fAr nrirofa
residence purposes and private dwell
ings will be replaced either by apart
ments or by business buildings. The
setback line can, therefore, be estab-
lished while the future traffic thorough
fare is still a 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 desirability of introducing
adaptability and elasticity In street de-
sign. The setback line is a means of
securing it.
I'm Washington and i'll a number of
the cities and town of Connecticut and
Massachusetts setback lines are estab-
lished under procedure similar to that
used In the laying out. opening and
acceptance of streets. Boston has
made considerable use of the setback
line, but the greatest progress has
probably been made in Brookline. That