The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-06-22
Article No. 2
THE FIRST STEP FORWARD
"A city plan is a city planned"

"A city plan Is q CITY pldIlncu
Progress along an unblazed
trail is most often at the rate OF
two steps forward and one step
back.
This was never more true than
sof coming. Against the plan for
a city plan. the private purse
irears its ugly head and it hates
to fight in the open, 1t seeks to
breed discord by pulling hidden
wires. 1t seeks to create false
impressions of honorable inten-
tions, 1t cries out that its rights
are being wronged and that the
community is headed for the
dogs.
But in actual experience these
mirages vanish; the real men of
the city or the town-those fine
men who stand with sturdy
shoulders under any load they
can tighten for the betterment of
their fellows-C Chambers of Com
merce. Boards of Trade, Rotari-
ans, Lions-all these have been
found marching. with the winning
columns in the great army of
Zoning Progress.
Therefore, in some form or
other, the plans for cities planned
have been advancing for about
"a years in the United States.
In these momentous days of its
new birth, Key West stands on
the threshold of an opportunity
unparalleled except it were a
prospective city the surveyors had
just staked out. It is much as it
was in the olden days; but as it
is and was, so it won't be long.
Here are the hour and the place
for almost ideal planning. Time
,, and tide wait for no man. May
the prize not pass her byi
The smallest place zoned thus
far in our country contains 131
people.
One asks: did this little town
need zoning?" Its population said
said SO and is reaping its bene-
fetal results in quantity. And
further: What places need zon-
ing?" The answer to this ques-
ton is the same as to the ques-
ton: What places need plan
ming boards?"
There are people who assume
that until bad conditions exist
there is no need for planning or
zoning, just as there are people
who think they need give no at
tention to health until they are
sick. The only right way is to
locate every street, every park,
every playground or whatever it
may be, in the proper place. and
then to put every building of
whatever type. in the proper
place. There is just one way to
do these things prepare for
them in advance.
Hence the fair education: no
community is so small it does not
need coming; no place SO unde-
veloped it does not need a plan
ming board.
A planning board is not a hell
ter-shelter proposition. Its selec-
ton is not a three-hour job. I'm
der ordinary conditions it may
best consist of five. One of these
must be a lawyer; another ought
to be a builder; in Key West a
third should be a real estate man
of long native standing. In my
own board there are a professor
in the engineering department of
"a college, and a former member
of the school committee.
These men must know their
city; must recognize her needs.
The board, selected by the mayor
and confirmed by the council,
will theEeupon be formally re-
quested to prepare a zoning ord
nance. for presentation to the
city government.
Before many weeks, following
consultation with A. coming ex-
pert (under Massachusetts, law
this advice is furnished free by
the Department of Public Vel
fare). and during which time
careful consideration is given
zoning regulations which may be
obtained by mail in quantity
from communities already zoned.
a temporary zoning ordinance is
drawn up and presented to the
board of mayor and council.
The aim of this temporary ord
nance is to hold conditions ex-
actly where they are and as they
are, under reasonable liberty. I'M
til q permanent ordinance shall