The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-27

The value of city planning to To-
peka was forcibly outlined to several
hundred citizens at noon today at the
Chamber of Commerce by William F.
McDermott of Chicago. McDermott
gained thoro knowledge of the SUBJ
ject when serving with the Chicago
News at the time Chicago was in
augurating city planning. He is
brother of George T. McDermott,
president of the Topeka Chamber of
Commerce.
Topeka, like many other cities,
has. like Topsy, Just grown, McDer =
mott said. Topeka has grown in a
much better way, perhaps. than many
ether cities, but there is need for sys-
tematizing the city's future growth" ;"
Zoning. McDermott pointed out,
was the basis of a successful city plan.
'sZoning means not only restriction,
it means much more" McDermott de-
clared. 'It means protection for the
home owner, for private property. 1t
means, of course, the development of
commercial phases of the city. St.
Louis has estimated that zoning
meant the benefit of s3o,000,000 in
new factories since zoning went into
operation in that city. Thru Zoning
Cleveland, o., has one of the highest
valued commercial districts in the
country. But the value of coming to
the home owner is really the biggest
thing to a city.
"If you have a coming law which
means that in certain districts only
certain kinds of building can be done,
then your home owner will know that
an apartment, or an eyebrow plucking
parlor cannot be built squarely against
his property or very near it." he said.
Protect The Home.
''If the home is protected, and the
home is the basis of our social and
e.
community in a social and moral way
is bound to improve" McDermott
pointed out.
In addition to the commercial, social
and moral values zoning will have great
civic value in beautifying of the city,
proper housing and general attractive
ness.
Stability of real estate values is an
other direct result of zoning, the
speaker said. When private property
| is protected from entertainments that
| mean depreciation of value, when
there are mixed areas of business and
residence property that are bound to
| be dead areas, it will mean a steadi-
ness of property values that city can
| not have without zoning
McDermott has visited practically
every city in this country and Canada
| that has city planning in effect.
Remember that when you do have
| zoning make it city-wide.," he warned
| DO not attempt to make small zone.
for special reasons. Make your entire
| city included in well drawn zonins
lines. and everyone stand by them
If Topeka adopts zoning she will take
the biggest step forward she has taker
/ in a generation"
I The speaker was introduced b,
Robert, Pierce, president of the cit,
planning board. and members of th'
| board attended the meeting in a body
z. L. Copeland presided at the meet
| ing. the third of the forum meeting
of the newly organized Chamber o
Commerce.
An unusually enjoyable feature o
the forum meeting was a mixed sex
tette under the direction of Paul Law
less of the First Methodist church
They gave operate selections witt
such finish that McDermott when be
girning his address declared that 81
Topeka did not send out that sextett
of voices as the Topeka sextette,' /
was dead town" He compared then
favorably to any such group of singer
he had ever heard
The members of the sextette ar
Paul La~less. Miss Inez Tiffany. Mis-
Juanita Mcdowell. Mr.. Otto Nelson
Miss Ruth Steiner and Mr.. Man
Morris.