The purposes of this chapter are to establish a pattern for
land use based on the land use element of the Master Plan and enacted
to guide appropriate and orderly development which will promote the
public health, safety, morals and general welfare. This chapter is
intended to regulate the use of land within zoning districts; secure
safety from fire, flood, panic and other disasters; provide adequate
light, air and open space; limit and restrict buildings and structures
to specified districts according to their type and the nature and
extent of their use for trade, industry, residence, open space or
other purposes; regulate the bulk, height, number of stories and size
of buildings and other structures; avoid a conflict with neighboring
municipalities, the county and the state; establish appropriate population
densities and concentrations contributing to the well-being of persons,
neighborhoods, communities and regions and the preservation of the
environment; provide sufficient space for residential, recreational,
commercial and industrial uses and open space; encourage the location
and design of transportation routes which will promote the free flow
of traffic while discouraging the location of such facilities and
routes which result in congestion or blight; promote a desirable visual
environment; promote the conservation of open space and valuable natural
resources and prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment
through improper use of land; and encourage coordination of various
public and private procedures and activities shaping land development
with a view of lessening the cost of such development and to the more
efficient use of land.