Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-04-15
"zON|NG" BEST
CITY BARGAIN
"Police Power" Does it, Says
Expert on City Planning, in
Splendid Article.
BY GEORGE Il. FORD,
Noted Expert on ''Zoning" and City
Planning.

In these days of the high cost of
living, no one expects something for
4 nothing. However, there is a way
n open for cities to provide for their
4 future to a remarkable degree at al
most no cost to themselves.
We are no longer obliged to suffer
while a selfish neighbor spoils our
home. No longer need we submit to
the terrifying drops In property
values that occur so often in our
cities.
The courts with great broadness
of view have interpreted the police
power" to mean that cities may con-
troll the use, the height and the size
of buildings for the benefit of the
whole community.
BY ''zoning" we can make the city
grow as it should grow; along order
ly lines. Homes will be by them
selves in the parts of the town best
suited to them. Stores will be con-
centrated on the thoroughfares and
factories will De where they can
get efficient transportation. Light
and air will be available for all.
A workingman puts his savings
into a home. He has dreamt all his
life of a charming place where he
could bring up his children. work in
his garden and pass a quiet old g
4 Will piSllly u iiSAL III hi III
growing things around him. One
morning he wakes up to find a fac
tory building going up next door. 1t
~overshadows him and cuts off his
light and air. The smoke and smells
are Objectionable. Heavy motor
trucking to the factory makes it
dangerous for his children to cross
the street. When the time comes to
renew his fire insurance policy he
a-I- - l. -. - H. f-t- .-V I@.
raised MS rates. He has no redress.
He tries to sell but no n will buy.
And when he finally does sell, it is
at q loss which wipes out all of his
equity.
An office worker buys a house
+ from a development company in a
residential district. He, too. is look
ing for calm inc pleasant surround
ings. Suddenly a public garage
springs up on the next lot. Like all
garages, 1t is noisy. dirty. untidy.
smelly and brings undesirable hang
ers-on. All night long cars are COM
ding In or out, and nothing will in
4 duce the drivers to consider other
peoples sleep. Again there is an
Increased fire risk and great danger
to children.
A business man builds a fine home
on a large plot. He sets his house
back forty or fifty feet from the
street and plants trees and shrubs
about. Ultimately, a four-story
apartment house appears on the
next lot. 1t is built out to the street
line and along his property line. This
leech-like building draws its light
and air and its charm Of outlook
from his property, for which, of
course, it pays nothing. Meanwhile
his light and air are cut off, as well
as his view. Behind the apartment
house there is built a large nest of
garages with all of their noise and
fire risk. Other apartment houses
come into the block, very possibly
on the other side of our friends
Some day a trolley com-
pany decides that, since there are
now 81 many people on the street,
1t would pay to extend a street a
line through it. Meanwhile, the
house owner has been trying to sell.
Z Only an apartment house builder