The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-07
City Planning Commission Discusses Problem of
Corner Building Where Commercial
and Resident Districts Cross.
CONGRESS STREET STAYS OPEN
Commission Decides That it Will Not be in Best Inter-
ests of Traffic Circulation to Close Block of
Important Downtown Street

, compelled to observe the 25-foot set
back. Second, the vista down the
residence thoroughfare is cut off and
spoiled by the corner store. Third,
another blind corner, menace to traffic
and contributor to accidents, will re-
suit.
Discuss Various Solutions.
The commissioners recognized the
difficulty of the problem, and discuss
ed several solutions. The first solu-
ton discussed was whether the cor
ner store should be compelled to COM
| ply with the residence setback of 25
feet. This would meet all other OBJ
jections but as Mr.. Tilden pointed out,
would work a serious hardship on the
man who happened to own the corner
store lot
The rights of this class were given
serious consideration.
"Pd hate to own corner lot" said
Mr.. Sullivan. eff twenty feet were
cut off at the corner, all there would
be Jeff would be room to run up a
lighting post"
It was pointed out that the lot
owner is protected because his lot
cannot be cut down so that it is less
than % feet front, so that this would
offset and even nullify the setback, if
/ liked on commercial intersections.
AS most of our corner lots are less
than So feet, we'd have corners stag
gering in and out, buzz saw fashion,"
said Howard Hahn, ''there would be
no uniformity. 1t is not just either
to take valuable property that some
one has invested money in"
Dennis Suggests Remedy.
Howard Dennis, chairman of the
coming committee. suggested remedy
which apparently took with all the
| planning commissioners when he sug-
gested that the corner lot should be
cut across so that the view could be
seen. This idea met with an instant
response Mr.. Tilden, representing
the city planner, Harland Bartholo-
new, stated that at the last national
conference of city planners one of
the most progressive steps was SHOWN
to have been introduced by the city
of Providence, R. l., which introduced
in its zoning ordinance a vision
clearance" clause. This provided that
! in residence districts on corner lots
there should be no obstruction above
three feet either by hedge planting
or by building.
This was construed as a novel use
| of police power" said Mr. Tilden, "and
we were assured by an eminent au-
thority on police power that this
would be legitimate use of such
power with every chance of being so
recognized in court.
If the builder is compelled to OBJ
serve vision clearance, it would then
be we'll to allow him the privilege of
building up to his line otherwise. 1t
is on such ideas that the strength of
coming must rest, as courts do not
take stock in aesthetic reasons but
place first considerations of public
! health and safety"
Others Favor Cut Corners.
| One by one the commissioners ex-
pressed themselves in favor of this
plan which would protect the man
with valuable land on the corner by
letting him build on as much as Of
land as the state law allows so long
as he observed a vision clearance"
for traffic by cutting his corners.
"Give them chance to build on all
the land they cam" agreed Mr.. Bar
den, "but observe vision clearance for
the sake of the public"
Mr.. Pfennig pointed out that there
were many places in Kenosha already
which Of their own accord had taken
advantage of the cut corner idea,
namely the Merchants bank, Hurd's
drug store and the Elite.
"In New York." said Mr.. Afford,
president of the city council. &'where
the property values are so very high,
the cut corners are often used to
great advantage for display purposes
and considered very desirable from
the point Of view of the store owner.
don't believe in taking off rs feet
or anything like that but am in favor
of the cutoff corners. / am strong
for vision clearance and let US make
amends to the owner of the lot by
giving him all the land possible on
which to build"
25 Feet in Rear-State Law.
Building Inspector J. N. Albers
pointed out that rear yard OF p
| feet is compulsory under the state
law back Of stores which house more
than two families in living quarters
upstairs, or which carries hotel quar-
=