This Zoning Ordinance is adopted for the following purposes:
(a) To promote and protect the health, safety, comfort, morals, welfare, convenience and necessity of the public.
(b) To divide the incorporated area of South Amherst into districts, prescribing and regulating therein the location, execution, reconstruction, alteration, and use of buildings, structures, and land for residential, commercial, manufacturing, recreational, and other specified uses.
(c) To fix reasonable standards to which buildings and structures shall conform, and provide that alterations or remodeling of existing buildings or structures be conducted in accordance with current standards as set forth herein.
(d) To regulate and limit the intensity of use of land.
(e) To avoid or lessen congestion in the public streets.
(f) To establish setback lines along streets, traffic-ways, drives, parkways, and storm and flood water runoff channels or basins and to regulate the location of structures relative to such lines.
(g) To protect the character and maintain the stability of residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational areas within the Village.
(h) To prohibit uses or structures which are incompatible with the character of other appropriate existing or intended development within each zoning district.
(i) To provide for the gradual elimination of those existing uses of land, buildings, and structures, that do not conform to the standards of the zone in which they are located at the time of enactment of this Ordinance.
(j) To promote the orderly development of the Village in accordance with a comprehensive consideration of land uses in the Village and with the officially adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan.
(k) To protect both urban and rural development from the detrimental effects of incompatible surrounding uses leading to the early termination of agricultural pursuits.
(l) To define and limit the powers and duties of the administrative officers and bodies as provided herein.
(Ord. 462. Passed 6-7-71.)