A. This title is adopted for the following purposes:
1. To protect and promote the physical, mental and public health, safety, comfort, morals, convenience and general welfare of the public.
2. Securing adequate natural light, unpolluted air, and safety from fire hazards, fire and other dangers.
3. Conserving the taxable value of land and buildings throughout the city.
B. To these ends, this title is designed to and intended to accomplish certain standards and objectives by:
1. Dividing the entire city into districts and restricting and regulating therein the location, construction, reconstruction, alteration, and use of buildings, structures, and land, whether for residence, business, manufacturing, or other specified uses.
2. Avoiding or lessening congestion in the public streets.
3. Preventing the overcrowding of land through regulating and limiting the height and bulk of buildings hereafter erected as related to land area.
4. Establishing, regulating, and limiting the building or setback lines on or along streets, alleys, or property lines.
5. Regulating and limiting the intensity of the use of lot areas, and regulating and determining the area of open spaces within and surrounding such buildings.
6. Establishing standards to which buildings or structures therein shall conform.
7. Prohibiting uses, buildings, or structures incompatible with the character of the residence, business, or manufacturing districts.
8. Preventing additions to and alterations or remodeling of existing buildings or structures in such a way to avoid the restrictions and limitations imposed hereunder.
9. Providing for the gradual elimination of those uses, buildings and structures which are incompatible with the character of the districts in which they are made or located, including, without being limited thereto:
a. Elimination of such uses of unimproved lands or lot areas when the existing rights of the persons in possession thereof are terminated or when the uses to which they are devoted are discontinued.
b. Elimination of uses to which such buildings and structures are devoted if they are adaptable for permitted use.
c. Elimination of such buildings and structures when they are destroyed or damaged in major part, as hereinafter provided, or when they have reached the age fixed herein by the corporate authorities of the city as to the normal useful life of such buildings or structures.
10. Providing for the acquisition by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise of buildings or structures which do not conform to the standards fixed by the city.
11. Defining and limiting the powers and duties of the administrative officers and bodies as provided hereinafter.
12. Prescribing penalties for the violation of the provisions of this title.
13. To regulate land uses pursuant to, and to accomplish the purpose of the comprehensive plan of the city. However, the comprehensive plan shall be advisory only and in and of itself shall not be construed or interpreted as regulating or controlling the use of any private property, and it is not the intent of the city that owners of private property should rely on recommendations in the comprehensive plan being translated into presently effective regulations. The decision as to whether and/or when particular elements of the comprehensive plan will be implemented in regulatory ordinances is reserved for the city council to make from time to time, taking into account, among other factors, the type of development that is contemplated, and the timing of such development in the context of the best advantage of the city as a whole.
14. Avoiding or lessening the hazards to persons and damage to property resulting from the accumulation or runoff of stormwater or floodwater.
15. To regulate land uses in accordance with the city master plan. (Ord. 2003-O-15, 3-18-2003)