(a) These regulations have been designed in the interest of the promotion of the public health, safety, convenience, comfort, prosperity or general welfare of the residents.
(b) These regulations have been based upon the land use plan for the City which was adopted by the Planning Commission on November 24, 1971.
(c) Need for public services and facilities in both size and location depends upon the character and intensity of land use. Regulation of the use of land is thus fundamental to a coordinated optimum physical development of the community. The land use regulations are intended to be the foundation of the entire process of improvement of the physical environment.
(d) The regulations are intended to preserve and protect existing property uses and values against adverse or unharmonious adjacent uses.
(e) The land use regulations divide the area into a number of zoning districts as the comprehensive plan included careful estimates of the land area requirements for the various land uses such as commerce, residence, industry, transportation and public uses. These urban uses should be directed into that land area where they may be most efficiently served by public services and facilities such as sewers, water, schools, parks and the like.
(1) In the past, residential neighborhoods in large cities have deteriorated because they were invaded by small isolated commercial uses and by more intensive residential uses such as duplexes or apartment buildings. The great majority of our population desire to, and do, live in single-family homes which they own and which are located on fairly large lots. The regulations establish four residential districts particularly designed to provide maximum protection for single-family homes.
(2) Two other residential districts are established for two-family homes and for apartments. Density, yard and parking regulations would insure good living conditions in these areas. Much of present-day building is by large projects instead of lot by lot. In order to be responsive to this growing need the regulations provide for "large scale developments"(ten acres or more) which may be located in any residential district with approval of the site plan and with conformity of the plan to the overall density standards of the district. This introduces an important measure of flexibility into the regulations.
(3) Commercial districts recognize the different types of commercial areas that will be needed by the future growth of the community. There is a zoning district for the neighborhood commercial area, i.e., the grocery store-drug store complex serving the adjacent residential neighborhoods. For more widely used commercial areas along major streets and highways, there is a general commercial district. There is a central commercial district for the downtown area and a special "planned district" for shopping centers.
(4) For industry there are three districts - a "restricted" district for the modern organized industrial area with landscaped front yards and no open storage, a "light" industrial district for nonobnoxious manufacturing and a "general" or unrestricted industrial district.
(5) The regulations emphasize character as well as locations and density of the land uses. Special inducements are offered for good design of apartment areas. Landscape planting is required in all front yards and for automobile filling stations, parking lots and garages. Advertising is carefully controlled.
(6) The regulations are reasonable in relation to existing conditions. Yard dimensions are adjusted to peculiarities of existing lots. Lots that are now too small may be used. Nonconforming uses are permitted to continue for adequate time periods.
(7) Most uses are required to provide their own off-street parking. Over a period of years, enforcement of this requirement will enable streets to be used primarily for traffic movement.
(8) Each of the regulations has been designed to work harmoniously with the others with the result providing that minimum degree of land use control essential to the realization of the optimum urban environment.
(Ord. 711103-112. Passed 5-1-73.)
(Ord. 711103-112. Passed 5-1-73.)