The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-12-31
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE.


+o+o1ino SIX 600 600. accept the Kenosha plan
and co-operate Fundamentally in the efforts
Of the Kenosha Plan Commission to get every
new subdivision laid out in a uniform ana puO-
1ir-servinc STYLE, as has been done IN the case
of Fditbton Beach on the south, it proves be-
vond doubt that there is real merit In the
Kenosha plan and that the commission is per-
forming genuine service to the city
Making the Edithton subdividers see tne
wisdom of laying out the entire lake 1ront'
throughout the whole three and halI mlles
Of their plat, as public park, instead Oh plat
ting it and selling it off to private partles III
lots: and the securing of lOO-toot boulevard,
which is to connect with Durkee avenue OUT Oh
Kenosha, in the place of a narrow drive en-
croaching on the lake front section, are only
a small part of what has been accomplished IN
the way of civic improvement, at practlcany
no cost to the city, since the Plan COMMISSION
was formed about two years ago.
Things have been accomplished by educa-
lion. It has been shown to subdlvlders and
Mat makers that additions with streets laid
out in keeping with uniform whole with sites
and provisions for schools and Fairgrounds and
parks and with lots of comfortable dimensions,
instead of dinky pieces of ground enhance the
property value just that much more, make 1t
lust that much more desirable to prospective
purchasers and at the same time carry out
carefully thought-out scheme for future mu-
nicipal growth and development.
The Plan Commission is backed by state
law which gives it authority to zone property
for a mile and half outside of the city linz
its in every direction, yet it has not yet been
necessary to enforce this power drastlcally.
It has been particularly gratifying to the COM
mission to see how readily property owners
accept the Judgment of men who are working
toward perfecting harmonious, community
that will fit in gracefully with future growth
and expansion.
Property owners have, in the short time the
Plan Commission has existed, come to recog-
nize it's value to them. They do not hesitate
to seek it's services. Many times serious err
rors in plating have been discovered and cor
rected before it was too late. There was one
case where the owner of property within half
mile of the city limits came to the commission
and submitted his plat and asked approval. 1t
was found that he had taken no account OF fu-
fure street extensions from Kenosha's city
limits, and in some instances lots had been
laid out directly in the paths of streets All
such dead street ends were eliminated at the
proper time, where if left until the property
was built up it would have been costly prop
osition to correct the error.
in another instance a small subdivider made
plans to build his daughter house on one of
his newly-laid out lots just outside the city
limits. He called on the Plan Commission and
discovered that the site he had chosen to build
on was directly in the path of an important
street. The oversight was rectifed. Still an
other small plat provided for forty-foot lots,
too small to invite home-builders of a desirable
class and homes of desirable proportions. He
was shown that he would enhance the value
of his property and his chance of disposing of
hsi lots to his financial advantage if he in
creased their size to sixty feet. He did so.
Numerous other instances could be cited.
AS in the case of Edithton Beach it is the
aim and purpose of the Plan Commission to
save to future generations, if within the range
of it's possibilities, the beautiful lake frontage
with which a kind providence has endowed
many miles of the state of Wisconsin, and
make of it public parks instead of home sites
and factory sites. Chicago several years since
has seen its mistake on its, miles of lake front
and is now expanding millions of dollars an
nually in frantic effort to correct the over
sight by building new lake frontage at tremen-
dous cost Kenosha and Kenosha suburbs need
not fall into this error if her builders and ex
panders will but use foresight, which at this
stage of the game is not profigacy but gooc
business.
Lastly, the Plan Commission, in every in
stance where subdivisions approach the limits
of the city, is endeavoring to have plans 81
drawn as to provide for east and west drive:
that will link up uniformly with a wide boule
ward system which is to eventually circle thu
entire city from south to north lake shore.
All this can not be accomplished in day
or . WEAR ar term IF wears hit fhp hoOin