Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-31
HOW zON|NG AIDS
IN LIFE OF CITY
Would Prevent Spectators
From Destroying Residential
Advantages, Experts Claim.

IN municlpal government tnat some
cities of this country have discovered.
That such a system effects every one,
especially among the field Of workers is
ono OF the most important argumcntative
details claimed for the idea by its ex-
poncnts.
The Chamber OF Commerce has
named committee to study the plan
and the following are some OF the effects
OF ,oning that they will consider.
A mechanic buys home for his family
in newly developed residence subdiv-
SION. lie and his neighbors plant trees
and shrubs and make the section quiet
and attractive home neighborhood.
Then the adjoining house changes hands
and the new owner thinking only Of his
own immediate advantage builds small
grocery store projecting TO the sidewalk
line and surrounds it with litter of
boxes and barrels. Our mechanic who
has invested his entire savings, SO, 500
in his home and given first mortgage
lien for remainder of the purchase price
would like 10 move away and offers his
home for sale but finds that it will now
bring but half the amount he paid for it
and his entire savings, 81, 500 have been
lost. He is forced to remain where he
is. Not only his home but all the homes
in the block are deprecated IN value; az
a RESULT the owners arc discouraged the
wards are neglected and the property
allowed to run down. This nice, quiet
home section has been ruined and the
savings of the home owners wiped out.
This ~ an example of what is happening
in one block after another all over the
city. Is this the way to encourage thrift
or promote home ownership
MIR. Smith has purchased home in an
attractive neighborhood. All of the
homes have large we'll kept yards. Mr.
Smith believes that children, like plants,
must have plenty of sunlight and room
in which 10 grow. The location selected
seems an ideal one in which to live and
raise his family. But there is a vacant lot
next door. A speculative builder esti-
mates that he can buy that lot, erect
four story, sixteen suite apartment house
thereon, rent the apartments, sell to
some investor and clean up handsome
profit for himself The apartment house is
erected and IL quickly rented and sold.
IL rents well because it is in n section of
private homes and has the benefit of
the lawns and open spaces about the
adjoining houses. But the value Of MIR.
Smiths home is practically destroyed.
HIS light and air are cut off by the huge
bulk OF the apartment house. The quiet
and comfort of the entire block for pr,-
vs,e residence purposes has been largely
destroyed. Each home owner fears that
= similar apartment building may he
constructed next door to him. Those
who can, sell out or move away and rent
their homes for any purpose or use that
offers. Apartment horses are needed
hu, ia il necessary 10 permit them to
scatter Unfortunately throughout the
private home sections? II a city is TO be
preserved as a city OF homes We must
protect the home owner by establishing
definite limits beyond which the apart
ment house may not spread.
A number of large apartment houses
have been erected in a block in \ section
near the center OF the city that is being
generally developed for apartment house
purposes. There is a large vacant lot
in the block and speculative builder
determines that in consequence OF the
demand for garage storage space IN this
apartment house neighborhood he can
make a good profit by building public
garage on the vacant lot. The garage
is built and the noise and traffic incident
10 it's operation makes the entire block
undesirable for residence purposes. The
tenants of the nearby apartment houses
move out and the vacant suites are only
again rented at rate that means an
enormous loss to the owners. Zoning is
Just as essential for the protection OF the
apartment house owner as 1T Is Tor the
protection OF the home owner.
Here is a large area that has been built
up quite uniformly with small homes.
There is n block near the center of the
area that has remained undeveloped ow-
ing chiefly TO the cost Of bringing the
lots 10 street grade. An ice manufacturer
picks this block as a good location
ior his new ice plant. The plant is built
and becomes the ice distributing center
for large area. The delivery teams
are stabbed at the plant, and early each
morning the rumbling of the wagons
and the shouts of the teamsters make
sleep for the nearby residents impossible
Added 20 this. there is the continuous
morse arising from the operation OF the
plant. The entire district is now un-
desirable for residence purposes. Prop
er,y values fall and other small shops
and industries take advantage of the low
prices to secure locations for their opera
lions. The area becomes blighted. 1t is
spoiled for residence use and being with
out rnilroad track facilities is OF little
value for industrial purposes.
A ten story Office and store building II
erected at the corner of the best business
block IN the central business section o.
the city. The building is financia
success: the ground floor is rented fol-
retail store purposes and the upper floors
being light and airy, bring good rentals
lfs success, however, leads to the cree
ton of sixteen story building acros:
the street from one of its frontages, 8
twenty story building across the street
from the other frontage and of sixteer
10 twenty-four story buildings on both
SIDES and in the rear The Offices belnl
darkened by the higher buildings are
forced to use artificial light Throughout
the entire day and are rentable only at 6
fraction of the former amounts. The
building no longer earns lar return OF
the investment. AS the competition
in building height proceeds large pro-
portion of the Office floors of each build
inc in this entire section are so darkenec
as 10 make the returns from the rental:
insufficient 10 cover the investment
Unless Office building heights are strictly
limited the result is bound TO be disas
trous 10 the investors as well as In
furious to the health and comfort OF the
clerks working in the darkened offices.
III. ntstturtior