The purpose of this chapter is to establish
a pattern for the use of land and building based on the land use element
of the Master Plan and to effectuate the Master Plan and to enact
it, in order to encourage municipal action and to guide the appropriate
and orderly development of land in a manner which will promote the
public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the people. This
chapter is intended to regulate the use of land within zoning districts;
to prohibit incompatible uses; to secure safety from fire, flood,
panic and other natural and man-made disasters; to provide adequate
light, air and open space; to limit and restrict buildings and structures
to specified districts and to regulate buildings and structures according
to their type and the nature and extent of their use and to regulate
the nature, intensity and extent of the use of land for trade, industry,
residence, open space and other purposes; to regulate the bulk, height,
number of stories and size of buildings and other structures; to avoid
a conflict with the development and general welfare of neighboring
municipalities, the county and the state; to establish appropriate
population densities and concentrations contributing to the well-being
of persons, neighborhoods, communities and regions and the preservation
of the environment; to provide sufficient space for agricultural,
residential, recreational, commercial and industrial uses and open
space and to encourage the location and design of transportation routes
which will promote the free flow of traffic; to promote a desirable
visual environment; to promote the conservation of open space and
valuable natural resources and to prevent degradation of the environment
through improper use of land; and to conserve the taxable value of
lands.
