The Cleveland Zone Plan Report to the City Plan Commission Outlining Tentative Zone Plan for Cleveland, by Robert H. Whitten and Frank R. Walker, City Plan Advisors o^v 9 CITY OF CLEVELAND CITY PLAN COMMISSION 1921 CITY OF CLEVELAND W. S. FitzGerald, Mayor CITY PLAN COMMISSION O. P Van Sweringen, Chairman F. F. Prentiss Morris A. Black, Vice Chairman Wm. G. Mather H. M. Farnsworth ex-officio members Wm. B. Woods, Director of Law Clarence S. Metcalf, Director of Finance Alex Bernstein, Director of Public Service Thomas S. Farrell, Director of Public Utilities Dudley S. Blossom, Director of Public Welfare Fred W. Thomas, Director of Parks and Public Anton B. Sprosty, Director of Public Safety Property Walter I. Robinson, Executive Secretary CONSULTANTS Robert H. Whitten, Special CU}) Plan Advisor Frank R. Walker, General City Plan Advisor Robert Hoffman, Commissioner of Engineering STAFF C. E. Conley, Engineer Harry B. Brainerd, Architect A. H. C. Shaw, Engineer • x Wm. A. Strong, Landscape Architect W. P. Wood, Draftsman ZONING is a first essential to the securing of a measure of orderliness in the building of the city. The common sense of the average citizen leads to a degree of order in the home, the store and the factory that is all but lacking in the life and work of the community as a whole. For want of a well-considered plan of building development each man builds without reference to his neighbor. The result is chaotic. Haphazard growth is inefficient, wasteful and ugly. Why not use the same forethought and care in the building of our community home that each sane man uses in the building of his individual home or factory? Zoning is the direction of building develop ment along orderly and well-considered lines of city growth. On the economic side, zoning means increased industrial efficiency and the prevention of enormous waste. On the human side, zoning means better homes and an increase of health, comfort and happiness for all the people. THE CLEVELAND ZONE PLAN THE state zoning statute provides that zoning plans may be prepared by the City Plan Commission and that such plans, if adopted by the council after public hear ings have been held, shall have the force of law. The City Plan Commission realizes fully that plans of this kind before being adopted should have the benefit resulting from their study and criticism by property owners and civic and business organizations throughout the city. The plan herewith presented is not a final plan, but merely a draft in tentative form to secure public dis cussion and criticism. As a result of such discussion, the plans now submitted will be thoroughly revised before their final sub mission to the city council. Citizens are requested to confer with the advisors of the commission in the City Hall and make known their wishes as to the pro posed zoning. Each civic and commercial organization is especially requested to appoint a committee to go over these plans in detail and submit recommendations to the commission and its advisors. Every recommendation will receive most careful consideration. The final plan will be the result of the joint efforts and best thought of all concerned in the direction of building development along orderly and well consid ered lines of city growth. Shall the mass of the popula tion of the great city of the future be housed like this? or like this? M&T~'^A~?'h?- •* r^*r}''H .••¦tvJ,%foc^.'r;:/'"r. / ¦''¦/". if (TKf r Ik k '.a r ¦•; a, ;it:nr;5. , ,_ AtPf/' ''..- At 'U LL. L A r~r jC fLPF" " £P f Zoning is the only safeguard against excessive congestion. WHAT ZONING DOES ZONING is a conscious, intelligent effort to direct the building of the city in accord with a well-considered plan. Like good housekeeping it provides a place for everything and tries to keep everything in its place. Like good industrial manage ment it plans for an orderly growth and expansion of the plant. Zoning divides the land area of the city into residence, business and industrial districts and prevents the erection of business or industrial buildings has one of the best examples of this wasteful development. Zoning will centralize local business in well defined local business centers. This will facilitate the transaction of business. It will improve land and rental values in the business sections, while at the same time conserving values in the residence sections. Zoning will keep the apartments out of the private house sections. The coming of the apartment drives out the private home. The Small Store Projecting to the Sidewalk Line in the Middle of a Residence Block in the residence districts or of industrial buildings in the business districts. Zoning prevents the development of great blighted areas near the heart of the city. Unless some definite limit is fixed to the distance that business may spread out from the central business area one block after another is abandoned by the resident owners until great areas are affected that will never be needed for business and the typical blighted district results. St. Louis Only by setting definite limits to the spread of the apartment can the city be preserved as a city of homes. Zoning will prevent congestion of popu lation. In addition to confining tenement house construction to certain areas, zoning will prevent excessive crowding even in the tenement areas. This will be accomplished by requiring a minimum number of square feet of lot area for each family for which the tenement is arranged. Zoning is essential to preserve the morale of the various neighborhoods or commun ities into which the city is divided. Zoning- creates confidence that the existing charac ter of the neighborhood will be preserved. Such confidence is essential to the improve ment of the area and to the maintenance of a vigorous local civic pride and spirit. Zoning enforces a certain degree of co operation among property owners for their mutual advantage and protection. A cer tain degree of uniformity in the develop ment of a block or area is beneficial to all owners. This is the meaning of restrictive covenants in all better class residential developments. Zoning applies the princi- Which \5 the Common Sense Plan ? Stores & Dwellings Arranged Like this ? or Like this ? CD C? CD a 1 1 Q CD 1 1 CD CD CD 1 | D CD CD a a p ? a cd | ? O | ^jy (-1 Cb « ? a CD CD <=? C=l CD ?CD cd a cd a c? CD CD ? cd a CD CD CD CD CD CD CD CDi CD Cb aL 1 «=> ? a -CD D CD CD ¦ Cb CD ? CD O CD a cd a a ? c£D Cb ? ¦ , a ? ' c?. en CD ? a a CD CD CD ? ¦a ? ? H ? ? a a CD o c? a ? CD- CD CD c3 i=i a cd CD C? CD CD dd a ? CD CD CD CD a CD Q CO a ? CD dD PI n a B o a" cd a CD ? a a CD CD CD ? 1 a cd a o. CD CD cd a | CD CD CD CD a a Cb ? . ? ?CP CD CD CD a a CD CD CD CD CD ? CDa a CD ? CD CD CD CD CD CD c3 a ? a a CD CD a a a ? ? a ? CD b CD D CD a ? a cd Cbcd a ? ? ? ? a a c? a CD CD CD M a cd ? ? a cd a c± ¦ D ? CD CD CD ? ? a ci CD £D CP CD CD CD ? , aCb ? a ? ¦ a ? P ? CD CD ¦ a Cb a a a aa C? CD a ? a c£D cd a Cb CD ? ? ? ? ¦ CD CD ? O ,¦ O ? ? a a a a a ? ? CD CD C CD CD ? c? ? a a cd q a ? CD a n o a ¦ CD Cb ? cd a CD CD a a a a a ? CD ¦ CD CD CD ? a a ? ? a a cd CD CD P D Cb CD ? CD CD CD ? ? CD CD a cd cb a a ? CD ? O ? CD CD t!3 cd a Cb CD a CD CD a CD CD ? ac? ? CD CD CD CD a a a ? o ? c?C7 CD a ? c? a ?? a cb a a a a a Cb a? Cb a cd a DDGDQD ODDDOD DODODODOOODQ Cb O d a d a> CD CD CD CD CD CD Cb a CD CD a p a cb a a a CD CD 5tore ?Dwelling Zoning requires each owner so to use his property as not to injure his neighbor. Without zoning the individual owner is powerless to prevent the destruction of the value of his property. Only by submitting to some restriction on his power to do with his own just as he pleases is he himself able to obtain protection. pie of the restrictive covenant in so far as it can be used to promote public as distinct from purely private ends. Zoning will limit the height of buildings differently in different parts of the city. The height limits will be. those appropriate for the various classes of use. No owner will be permitted to appropriate for the use of his building an undue share of the common stock of light and air. Without a height limit the tendency is for each new office or hotel building to push up higher than its neighbors in order to get more light and air. This competition to build the highest building with its attendant street traffic congestion will be stopped by zoning. Zoning will conserve property values. Haphazard development is bound to be costly and uneconomic development. Zon ing will save enormous waste in building construction. With uncontrolled building development the construction of a new building in a neighborhood often means a net loss in the aggregate value of the build ings of that neighborhood. With zoning each new building increases the aggregate value in an amount equal to and usually in excess of its own cost. Zoning will attract money to a city for investment in real estate. Large lending institutions will be inclined to favor those cities in which their investments will be afforded the safeguard of a comprehensive zoning plan. Failure to provide the zoning safeguard is as inexcusable as failure to protect property against destruction by fire. Zoning protects the home. Quiet and freedom from the distraction incident to When is the time to Zone ? When the residence streets are Like this? or Like this? ? ?? ?a CP ? CD ? ? ? a a a ?? a ? ? ? a CP a ? ? a a ? c? ? CD a a ? ? ? CD ? ? ? a C3 ? a ? ? ? ? CP a a p aCD na ? a a ? Cb a ? a CD ? ? ? ? CD Ch a a CD cp a ? ? ? ? CD ? * ? CD a .a a ? a CDCP ? CPa?CD a? CPaaaCD?aCP ?a CD a? a CPCDCD ?a ??? a? ?? ? a n? r£D ? ? IffiM ? a a CP ? CD ? a ? ? CD ? ? ? a en ? ? ? ? ? a CP a a ? ?CD ?? Mb ¦ ? ? Cb ? ? D CD ^H a ? ? ? CD Ch a ? CD CP ? ? ? ? ? CD ? CD CD ? a a a ? CD CP Ch ? CP ?? CD ?? a aa?ac? a Single Family Dwelling ¦ 5tore i Apartment House Garage trade, industry and attendant street traffic are essential to a wholesome home environ ment. Zoning will establish uniform building lines in the residence sections, thus giving opportunity for a front yard with a lawn and trees and prevent one building from pushing out in front of its neighbors. Zoning will promote industrial develop ment. It will set aside adequate areas for industries within which the new plant may locate without incurring the criticism and continual complaints of neighboring resi dents and owners. It will attract to the city and to the home areas near the industrial areas a good and abundant labor supply. The segregation of industries will make it possible to serve the industrial areas more efficiently and more economically with sew ers, trucking routes and freight facilities. Zoning promotes the health and comfort of the people. Orderly city growth cannot fail to have a marked effect on the physical fitness and vitality of the city's inhabitants. The rapid increase in nervous and organic disorders has some very definite relation to the congestion, noise and confusion incident to the existing haphazard and uncontrolled building development. The New York Zoning Commission said: "The necessity for reducing the stress and strain of city life is becoming more and more apparent. This is essential if the city is to be a place in which our heritage of health and vitality is to be used, conserved and handed down to succeeding generations instead of being abused and exhausted." The Reason for the Building Line Values of neighbor; inq residences have een cut in half by his store These homes have been blanketed by igh walls of part ments. The high Apartment Houses built out to the sidewalk line cut off light and view from neighboring buildinqs. When the entire block is built up with similar Apartments there will be no room for lawn or trees — nothinq but pavement and bare brick walls. OUTLINE OF TENTATIVE ZONE PLAN T THE City of Cleveland is divided into seven classes of use districts. Two of these are residence districts and five are business and industrial districts. In addi tion to the use districts there are six classes of height districts and five classes of area districts. The height and area districts are superimposed over, the use districts. Con sequently, each portion of the city is in some one of the seven classes of use districts, in some one of the six classes oi height dis tricts and also in some one of the five classes of area districts. The boundaries of the various use, height and area districts are shown on the zone map. RESIDENCE DISTRICTS HE two classes of residence districts are: Class la or dwelling house district. Class lb or apartment house district. A building arranged for more than two families may not be constructed in a dwell ing house district. One of the chief pur poses of the zone plan is to preserve Cleve land as a city of homes. While a certain number of apartment houses are beneficial, they should not be allowed to drive out the private homes. Carefully limited but ade quate areas are allowed for apartment house development. The dwelling house districts, permitting the erection of either one or two family dwellings, but excluding apartment houses, will include a consider able proportion of the entire area of Cleveland. The residence zoning is supplemented by the area district regulations that limit the number of families that may be housed on a given plot of ground and also limit the per centage of lot that may be covered. The area zoning regulations also require side and rear yards for all buildings located within residence districts, whether they are dwellings, apartment houses, churches, schools or other authorized uses. Uniform building lines back from the street line are also prescribed. The residence district regulations are also supplemented by the height district regulations. A given residence district may be combined now with one and now with another of the various height and area dis trict classes. Trade and industry are excluded from the residence districts. Churches, schools, hospitals, philanthropic institutions, clubs and hotels are permitted in the apartment house district, and with certain important limitations as to location, these uses, with the exception of the hotel, are permitted in the dwelling house district. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS THERE are five classes of business and industrial districts: Class 2a or local retail business district. Class 2b or business and light manu facturing district. Class 3a or heavy industry district. Class 3b or semi-nuisance industry district. Class 3c or nuisance industry dis trict. The purpose of this classification is to provide locations for all types of business and industrial use with a minimum of in convenience and waste and a maximum of efficiency. It is not only necessary to pro tect the residence sections from invasion by all kinds of trade and industry, but also to protect certain kinds of trade and industry from being injured by proximity to antag onistic or deleterious types. A manufac turer of food preparations may be seriously injured by the location nearby of a fertil izer plant. Moreover certain types of busi ness and industrial use may be located close to good residential sections without mate rial injury while other types if located within a quarter of a mile of such sections are a distinct nuisance. It is only by care fully grading the various trade and indus trial uses according to their comparative freedom from nuisance characteristics that an orderly and efficient development of the city may be secured. In the local retail business (class 2a) dis trict, retail trade, offices and small shops for custom work or for the making of arti cles to be sold at retail on the premises are permitted. The uses permitted in the resi dence districts are also permitted in the 8 local retail business district. Public ga rages, light manufacturing and bulk storage are excluded from the local retail business district. This district is suitable chiefly for the smaller retail centers adjacent to the residential sections. The business and light manufacturing (class 2b) district regulations permit in addition to all uses permitted in the local retail business district all kinds of light manufacturing of a non-nuisance character and also public garages, bulk storage arid wholesale business. The business and light district such uses as boiler-making, struc tural iron works or junk yards are per mitted. This district provides for industries that need to be distributed in various indus trial sections about the city but are detri mental if immediately adjacent to resi dences. The nuisance features, usually noise, smoke or odor, extend up to about 1,200 feet from the industry, thus making the vicinity undesirable for certain types of industry and very undesirable for housing. Class 3c uses include those nuisances that affect a wide area, such as fertilizer plants, The Apartment House in a Single Family House District manufacturing district will include most of the central business sections and most of the local business sections along the main traffic arteries and street car lines. In the heavy industry (class 3a) district all heavy industrial uses of a comparatively non-nuisance type are permitted in addition to all the uses permitted in the residence and business districts. Most of the area appropriate for industrial development ex tending out through the industrial housing areas along the railroads should be placed in the class 3a district and thus aid in the spreading out of the industries and the industrial population. In the semi-nuisance industrial (class 3b) glue manufacture, stock yards, slaughter houses, cement works, etc. In many cities these uses should be excluded from the city so that under a zone plan no district would have to be provided for these nuisance uses. The location of a nuisance district should depend on the prevailing winds, topogra phy and, of course, on existing conditions of use. In Kansas City, stock yards and packing houses are located in the river valley, about 200 feet below the general level of the city. This condition greatly restricts the area affected by the odors from the industry. In Cleveland the upper River valley from the point of view of topography and existing conditions is the best suited for setting aside as a class 3c or nuisance industrial district, but the pre vailing winds and the nearness of the resi dence sections makes even this location open to objection. The zoning regulations also provide that such special uses as a cemetery, crematory, aviation field, sewage disposal plant or refuse dump may be located only on appli cation to and with the approval of the board of zoning appeals. HEIGHT DISTRICTS THE entire, city is divided into six classes of height districts. These dis tricts are superimposed over the use districts. The height regulations impose a maximum building height for each district and also regulate the height of the building with relation to the distance of the front wall of the building from the center line of the street. The maximum height limits are 35 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet, 100 feet, 150 feet and 200 feet. The ratio of the building height to the distance of the front wall of the building from the center line of the street is respectively 1 times, \]/2 times, \y2 times, 2 times, 3 times and 4 times. The height districts are termed respectively class HI, H2, H3, H4, H5 and H6. The limitation of height with reference to dis tance of the building from the center line of the street adopts the offset principle of permitting the building to be erected at the street line to a certain height and then to be built higher, provided it is set back in a prescribed ratio. For example, in class H5 on an 80 foot street a building at the street line may be erected to a height of three times the distance of the building from the center line of the street, or 120 feet, and then by setting back 10 feet may go 30 feet higher or the maximum of 150 feet. In a class HI height district the height limit is 2^2 stories, but not in excess of 35 feet. The one and two family dwelling and the two story apartment sections will gen erally be placed in the. class HI district. This class will therefore include most of the residence sections of the city more than two or three miles out from the chief busi ness center. In the class H2 height district the maxi mum height is 50 feet. The 50 foot limit permits the erection of the ordinary four story apartment or the four story store and dwelling building in the local business sec tions. It will be applied in most of the class 2a or local retail business districts and in certain portions of the residence districts. In a class H3 height district the maxi mum height is 75 feet. The height of any wall or portion of the building may not exceed \y2 times the distance of such wall or portion of the building from the center line of the street. In the case of a corner building the height permitted on either street may extend back 100 feet along the other street. The 7S foot limit provides for the ordinary six story building. The class H3 height districts will include most of the local business sections along the main traffic arteries and street car lines and portions of the industrial areas. Part of the residence area included within the apartment house districts will also be included in the class H3 height districts. In a class H4 height district the maxi mum height is 100 feet. The 100 foot limit provides for the ordinary eight story build ing. The class H4 height district will in clude most of the industrial areas and a portion of the elevator apartment sections. In a class H5 height district the maxi mum height is 150 feet. The height of any wall or portion of the building may not exceed three times the distance of such wall or portion of the building from the center line of the street. In the case of a corner building the height permitted on either street may extend back 150 feet along the other street. The 150 foot limit provides for the ordinary twelve story office build ing. The class H5 district will be applied to a considerable portion of the central business and industrial areas. In a class H6 height district the maxi mum height limit is 200 feet. The height of any wall or portion of the building may not exceed four times the distance of such wall or portion of the building from the center line of the street. In the case of a corner building the height permitted on either street may extend back 150 feet along the other street. A 200 foot limit provides for the ordinary 16 story office building. The class H6 district will include only that portion of the central business district 10 where the most intensive office and hotel development is anticipated. AREA DISTRICTS THE entire city is divided into five classes of area districts: Class A-l requiring 5,000 sq. ft. of lot area per family. Class A-2 requiring 2,500 sq. ft. of lot area per family. Class A-3 requiring 1,250 sq. ft. of lot area per family. Class A-4 requiring 625 sq. ft. of lot area per family. Class A-5 requiring 312 sq. ft. of lot area per family. The area districts are superimposed over the use and height districts. The area dis trict regulations are intended to promote an appropriate distribution of population and to resist the tendency toward the con gestion of population. They are also in tended to secure a more open residential development by limiting the percentage of lot that may be covered by buildings in residence districts. The regulation as to the number of square feet of lot area is based on the num ber of housekeeping units or families for which the building is arranged or designed. In computing the lot area for this purpose, the area opposite the lot to the center of the street is included. This permits a some what more intensive development on the wider streets and on the corner lots. On a street 50 feet wide, a lot 40 feet by 100 feet can be improved with a single family house in a class A-l district, a two family house in a class A-2 district, a four family house in a class A-3 district, an eight family house in a class A-4 district, and a sixteen family house in a class A-5 district. The class A-l district requiring 5,000 square feet of lot area per family is applied in those sections of the city where the sin gle family house is the most appropriate development. Two family houses are not .Shall neighborhood buildings & services such as schools, churches,branch public library, community building recreation building & small park or playground be grouped or scattered ? I» 1 CPn a a CD to o a ? a es a ? CD D a cd a a ? Cb ? n a D rD Cb a? Dc? o a ? a a a a ? CD ? D a a a? a ? ? CD ? ? a o a ? 6 o ? Ci =>D cd a CD ? a ?Cb ? ? a ib ci a D a o o a ? a CDD CD D O ? a a d ia aa a O D c a U CD ? a c3 ? ? a CD Q ? ? a d a a a a a ? a Q a a ? D dD DCD 1=1 G> ? D CD ? CD ci a «D CD CD wm\ I I I Q a q ? Da !¦ o a a cb a a a TP^ a o ? a a D ? ? D a IPS a o i.-.i a a a ? a a o a ? ? ??C3C7DQODD ?aoorpooonn I"' ? in n a ? D EDO CD p O D O nCDCDCDDaDDOD DDrDODt3DDao Cb a l> a ? cb d cb ? a cb a cd q a dcdcpoidcjcjdcjo aocdocianoa n i n a ? ? n ? li a ooonoaPDO CD ^_ O Q P ? O ? =G CICIDCbDODCICD c ? ^P a ? n a o ? cpona o a ? Q a n ? P ? a d a a a ? ????cbDDDaa p ¦? » ? cd a d ? I _2 ? ? c a a o o _a a o ? Scattered n Grouped prohibited, but the two family houses would require 10,000 square feet of lot area. This requirement as to lot area and an addi tional requirement that not over 30 per cent of the area of the lot may be covered by the building will in practice tend to limit con struction in class A-l districts to single fam ily houses. The residence sections that are generally Other apartment house areas will be placed in A-4 or A-5 area districts. In residence districts that are within A-3 or A-4 area districts buildings may not cover more than 60 per cent of the area of the lot. There is no percentage limitation of the lot that may be covered by the building within the business or industrial districts. The percentage limitation applies only Which town is the more substantial looking ? i AAaiAi:, iSs*-***'. K K K " « "' It ft ' p-B ll «,»( [c W " «' If [( 18,1 K i.i U Ji j !» « H SI ll I Ml » w a ei - ; /A n » -if ha . .4is si « » a SA. n ii i} fi. I I" li SE ii if i in- tl It (I Sf - '. :»T IE (I ll The one building town In this town a height limit has caused the business district to spread out instead of up. appropriate for improvement with either one or two family houses will be placed in the class A-2 district, requiring 2,500 square feet of lot area per family. In this district not more than 40 per cent of the area of the lot may be covered by the building. Most of the apartment house districts will be in the class A-3 district requiring 1,250 square feet of lot area per family. within the residence districts. The require ment of a certain number of square feet of lot area per family, however, applies to residence buildings whether they are with in the residence districts or are constructed within business or industrial districts. In computing the number of families that may be housed on a given lot area, deduction is made where a portion of the lot is usfed for business or industrial pur- 12 poses. Thus in a class A-3 area district where, for example, four families might be housed on a 40 foot by 100 foot lot, if there are two stores on the ground floor, the num ber of families that can be housed on the lot is reduced by two, or to be exact, there is a reduction of one family for each 1,000 square feet of lot area occupied for business purposes. The ordinary two or three story store and dwelling building is not a desir able type of construction from a public of the residents because of the nuisance fea tures incident to the normal operations of the factories. While the zone plan does not prohibit the erection of residences even in the semi-nuisance or nuisance industrial districts, it will tend to discourage the erec tion of dwellings therein for two reasons: First, with definite areas set aside for resi dences and factories, the financial hazard incident to the placing of residences in a factory zone will, in most cases, serve as a Excavation Showing Street Sub-surface in New York City. Skyscrapers not only Result in Street Congestion, but in the Congestion of the Sub-surface with a Tangle of Pipes and Wires standpoint. The regulations as applied will tend to reduce the number of flats that would otherwise be located over stores. The erection of dwellings or apartment houses is not prohibited in the industrial districts, though for the most part these districts are so located that there would be little tendency to build residences within them. It is, of course, undesirable for many reasons to have residences and factories in termingled. The factories do not create a proper environment for the home, and the nearness of the homes to the factories sub ject the factory operators to the complaints sufficient deterrent. Second, the nuisance and semi-nuisance industrial districts will be placed in the A-l area district which will require 5,000 square feet of lot area per family. This will further tend to make the erection of a residence in one of these districts uneconomic. YARDS; BUILDING LINES SIDE yards and rear yards are required in all residence districts. The width of the side yard shall not be less than one-sixth of the height of the building or not less than four feet in any case. The width 13 CLEVELAND CITY OF CLEVELAND Tentative Zome Plan 1921 east side. Section Symbol la lb 2a 2b 3a3b 3c mm EM] KfZY Use Districts DwellingsApartment Houses Retail. Commercial Industrial (Semi Nuisance (Nuisance) Height Districts © 35 Ft. Limit © 50 © Tj ft 100 © KO © 200 of the rear yard shall equal one-half the height of the building. Forty per cent of the area of the rear yard may be occupied by one story accessory buildings. In business and industrial districts side yards are not required, but rear yards, with certain important exceptions, are required. No rear yards are required in class 3b or 3c industrial districts. In class 3a indus trial districts and in business districts rear yards are not required for corner build ings, but are required on interior lots that are back to back. The zone plan does not attempt to pro vide a complete code for the lighting and ventilation of the building. It simply es tablishes minimum standards for those open spaces about the building that have a rela tion to the lighting and ventilation of the adjoining buildings as well as to that of the building itself. The zone regulations are thus confined to those things in which ad joining owners have a mutual interest. Side yard, rear yard and front yard spaces are required for the mutual advantage of all owners and occupants of the block. The provision or omission of an interior court, on the other hand, does not affect the neighbor. Front Yards; Building Lines. The zone plan establishes building lines on street frontages where an open space between the building and the street line is required in the public interest. These building lines, as shown in detail on a special building line map, are imposed generally throughout the residence districts and also where needed and existing conditions will permit in the business and industrial districts. Cleveland has been generally developed with residences setting well back from the street line, affording adequate room for lawn and trees. This makes a healthful and convenient city as well as a beautiful city. Grass and trees make an attractive home environment and are almost essential to a normal and healthful development of the child. Occasionally, in a detached residence sec tion, an apartment house disregards the ex isting building line and is erected at or near the street line. This cuts off light and air from the neighboring buildings and if it becomes a type will entirely change the When it happens to you D-d y see -this Bill ? Zone Plan proposed by City Plan Commission"! Them birds are sure coo cooj Yea ! Ho*da they get- fhat way?, Wot the H — riqhr have fhey o.of "ho say wefher- I boil da house or a /Vw| Wot" c"n yoo expect f r'm a buncha dreamers anyway ? 16 character of our residence sections. Cleve land will tend to reproduce conditions ob taining in certain other cities where there are great areas with apartment houses erected right on the street line and without a bit of vegetation — nothing but the pave ment and the bare brick walls. We can prevent the reproduction of such condi tions in our residence sections by maintain ing the existing building lines. CLASSIFICATION OF USES THE classification of uses which is a part of the zoning ordinance divides the various uses of property into groups, classes and subdivisions. The use classes correspond to the use districts. Each use class lists the uses for which the corre sponding use district class is specially de signed to provide. Starting with the pri vate dwelling, the classification enumerates the various kinds of residential use and then the business and industrial uses graded and arranged according to their comparative freedom from nuisance characteristics. In the hierarchy of uses the dwelling comes first and garbage reduction and fertilizer plants last. NON-CONFORMING USES THE zoning ordinance does not affect existing uses of property. A use or building existing at the time of the pass age of the zoning ordinance which does not comply with the regulations of the use dis trict in which it is located is called a non conforming use. Such use or building may be continued, though not conforming to the use district regulations. The zoning ordi nance is not retroactive. If, for example, there is a store in an area that under the zoning ordinance is included in a residence district the store may nevertheless be con tinued. A non-conforming use may also be changed subject to the general rule that, if changed, it must be to a higher use as listed in the classification of uses. If, however, the non-conforming use is a class 3b (semi- nuisance) use or class 3c (nuisance) use it may not be changed unless to a conforming use. A change to another use listed in the same subdivision of the classification is not deemed a change of use under the ordi nance. Thus a change from a grocery store to any other kind of a retail store or shop would technically be deemed a continuance It's different ' Af-R :^r- fS ¦-> J THE SMELLIE-FULTON CO. 20 ST. CLAIR AVE., N. W., CLEVELAND