The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-07-06
THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1922.
ZONING


In the average Vermont community |
civic and industrial development is |
matter of chance; and failure to give |
thought to the future proves in the long
run to be both costly and announcement. |
Trees are planted promiscuously Streets
are laid out in haphazard fashion. Sew
srs- are laid down with no consideration
as to how they viii fit with extensions
Of the sewerage system. Public build
ngs are erected in widely separated
parts of the municipality; and indus
tries are located by accident This con-
fusion comes from the fact that munich
pal corporations have not applied the
same scientific methods to the solution
of their problems as have been employed
by the great business corporations.
Perhaps the greatest waste in town
building has resulted from the overlap
ping of manufacturing district and shop
ping section and residential areas In
more than one Vermont village the archi-
tectural beauty of a church has been
ruined for all time because a garage was
| constructed by its side. Not infre-
luently the quiet dignity of a public
| library is Iessened by the proximity of
noisy blacksmith shop. In not a few
| cases a choice residential street has
| been rendered undesirable by the en-
| croachment of stores or junk yards.
| Surely there are good reasons, both eco
nomic and aesthetic, why the manufac-
turing, commercial civic, and residen-
tial interests of a town should be
| grouped tremendously and not located
according to whim or caprice. Such
grouping may be secured by coming.
What is coming? 1t may be defined
as the public regulation of the use of
private real estate in a municipality. 1t
not only affects the location, height, and
character of buildings, but the use of
vacant land as well. Today 66 munich
palities in the United States have coming
ordinances, and ia have coming plans
in progress. Some are operating under
| the principle of eminent domain-the
| right of the state to, take private prop
erty for a public use. Others are more
! satisfactorily operating under the prin-
ciple of the police power-the right of
the state to legislate regarding public
health, safety and morality.
That coming is legal there can be no
question. Enough favorable decisions
have been handed down by the courts
o indicate that they view regulation of
the uses of land and structures thereon
as a reasonable exercise of the police
forms In no instance has a court failed
20 uphold coming when it was done sensi-
bly,, although it is now well established
that ordinances are not retroactive.
Slowly but surely the courts have come
to realize that social values are greater
than property rights.
Suitable legislation is necessary to
make coming truly efficient and in twenty
states it is authorized by legislative act.
IN the municipal planning law, passed by
he last session of the Vermont legisla-
ure, some recognition was made of the
coming principle, but this provision is
hardly more than an entering wedge
which viii open the way to a real zon-
ng law Vermonts beginning has been
right, however, as coming is a part of
he general planning problem and the
irst step should be the passage of an
enabling act giving cities, towns, and
7iIlages the right to create planning
commissions.
Pending necessary legislation, great
leal can be accomplished by arousing