COMMUNITY VALUES AS REFLECTED IN ZONING REGULATIONS AND LAND USE PRACTICES

Robert Astrup

Mr. Astrup is a membe r of De lta Eta chapte r o f G.T.U. and teaches a t Johann a Junior High School , SI. Paul , Minnesota .

INTRODUCTION The cities of Dallas and Monmouth,

Oregon have been selected as sites for a study of community values. By re­viewing the zoning regulations in each town students can begin learning about often unspoken values in a community. In addition a series of maps of Dallas and Monmouth are employed by the students in order to accomplish spe­cific tasks that demonstrate some com­munity values.

ACTIVITY I- Zoning

Objectives A. Students will be able to identify

the five primary urban uses of land ; single family dwellings, multiple family dwellings, commercial , industrial, and public uses.

B. On the provided zoning maps students will color their maps in order to learn how to facilitate the under­standing of a complex map.

C. Students will discuss and analyze the two zoning maps they have pre­pared to determine similarities and dif­ferences between the two towns.

Materials Figure 1, " Uses of Urban Land ;" Fig­

ure 2, " Zoning Map of Dallas ;" Figure 3, " Zoning Map of Monmouth ;" Figure 4, " Base Map of Dallas."

Procedures Part 1

The first step in this activity is expos­ing the students to the charts of Urban Land Uses (Figure 1). Ample time should be provided to discuss the vari­ous land uses found in most towns. The teacher should then raise the question of zoning and what zoning is. City and county governing boards attempt to control land use by zoning certain areas for a parti cular use. How the various zoned areas relate to one another helps to explain community values.

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Part 2 At this point give each student the

Zoning Map of Dallas and the Zoning Map of Monmouth (Figures 2 and 3) and the Base Map of Dallas (Figure 4). Explain to the class that in order to make the maps more understandable you want them to use colored pencils and color code the maps. The teacher should spend time showing the stu­dents the effects wise use of color can have. The color code is as follows : Single family residence, yellow; multi­ple dwelling residence, brown ; indus­trial , blue; commercial, red; and public use, green.

The teacher should explain that the color code is consistent with traditional co lor code and allows for easy com­parison with public issued full color land use maps.

Part 3 Using the three maps of Activity I,

have students discuss: A. What physical and cultural fea­

tures are present or absent in each town? (No rivers, streams, RR tracks, industrially zoned areas, junior or sen­ior high schools in Monmouth. Dallas seems to be a much more diverse town . A smal l state college is located in Monmouth).

B. Generally where are the areas zoned " R2" located? (Around the principal employers and large public institutions which either require em­ployees or students in the case of Monmouth).

C. What do you suppose citizen atti­tudes about industry are in each town? (Dallas residents have accepted and encouraged industry. Monmouth does not seem to welcome industry).

D. Where is industry? (Only on the south side of Dallas near the railroad tracks).

E. Does industry have to be located by railroad tracks? (It depends . .. some

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do and some don't. All industries need transportation, water, air, railroad, or highway transportation. An industry could locate in Monmouth even though Monmouth has no RR tracks. A major highway runs through both Monmouth and Dallas).

F. What's the difference between C1 and C2 on the Monmouth Zoning Map? (C1 is a commercial zone for profes­siona l services only. Included in pro­fessional services are such businesses as medical, legal, and CPA offices and drug stores. In addition the zone calls for single story buildings with the appearance of single family houses. Regular commercial business located downtown or along the highway is C2).

G. What's the difference between R1-6 and R1 -8 in Monmouth? (R1-6 means a lot measuring 60'x100' and R1-8 means a lot measuring 80'x100'. Newer lots are oftentimes larger, there­fore areas zoned R1-6 are probably the older residential areas).

H. What are the major functions of each town? (Dallas's function seems to be residential, commercia l, and indus­trial. Monmouth seems to be a co llege town and residential area and cou ld be called a bedroom community).

ACTIVITY II - New Home Location in Dallas

Objectives Students will analyze the informa­

tion on severa l maps and enter into the group decision-making process. The outcome of which will be the specific determination of a home location.

Materials Figure 3, "Dallas Base Map ;" Figure

2, " Zoning Map of Dallas ;" Figure 5, "Da ll as, Land Use Map ;" Figure 6, " Dallas, Age of Building;" Figure 7, "State of Building Repair in Dallas."

Procedures Part 1

Form students into groups of 4-6 stu­dents and give them copies of Activity " materials. Discuss the meaning and use of maps. Instruct someone in each group to read the following statement:

You are a man of 40 years of age who has recently been transferred to Dallas and has a good job working for the lumber sawmill located there. You hope to remain in Dallas at least three or four years before your next transfer with the lumber company. Your family has three children , ages 7, 10, 15. You intend to build a new home at a cost of $35,000. Using the Dallas maps, where would you build your new home?

Part 2 Have each group reach a decision

and report to the class on the home location they choose and their major reasons for that decision. Select one student to be the 40 year old man and have the student listen to the report and make his/her decision.

ACTIVITY III-Plastics, Inc. Move to Monmouth-Maybe

Objectives A. Students will be able to identify

the major factors in a community's decision to welcome industry.

B. Students will be able to list a num­ber of individual values held by mem­bers of a community concerning what they value about their community.

C. All the students will participate in a role-play situation.

Materials Figure 3, "Zoning Map of Mon­

mouth;" Figure 8, " Monmouth Rezon­ing Proposal. "

Procedures Part 1

The teacher refers each student to their copy of the Monmouth Zoning Map (Figure 3) . Attention is drawn to the undeveloped piece of property labeled " proposed site" which lies in the N.W. section of town. The teacher then assigns the following roles to class members: mayor, five councilmen, a real estate agent, the owner of the pro­posed site, a downtown businessman, and the president of Plastics, Inc. Other class members portray interested citi­zens attending the city council meet­ing. The mayor and councilmen are seated in the front of the class along with the real estate agent and his three companions. The teacher then reads the following statements.

Part 2 Give the students 20 minutes to

develop their roles before the mayor calls the council meeting to order. Stu­dents who are interested citizens might choose to organize into a group or groups to voice their views at the coun­cil meeting. When the meeting is called to order, the mayor will ask the real estate man to petition for the zoning change giving his supporting reasons. After the proposal, the mayor can open the meeting up for comments from the citizens. After all viewpoints have been discussed, the mayor will call for a vote of the council. The mayor votes if his decision breaks a tie or if his vote forces a tie (a defeat of the proposal).

ACTIVITY IV-Conclusion

Objectives Student will be able to hold a mean­

ingful discussion on the merits of zon­ing and community values.

Procedures Part 1

Hold a class discussion on the advan-

S3

tages and disadvantages of zoning land. The question asked might be simply, " Why zone?"

(Zoning protects individual rights, it protects the community interest from individual self-interest, it helps to main­tain and improve land values, success­ful zoning could result in greater speed and efficiency in transportation and zoning helps governing bodies to plan for needed extensions of services, like water, parks, sewer, roads, power, etc. The principle opposition to zoning focuses on the issue of loss of indi­vidual rights. As the result of zoning regulations an individual might not be allowed to develop or sell his property as he wishes and thus may lose real or potential profits).

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Part 2

Continue the class discussion by asking the question. How are values reflected in the ways communiites zone and use their land? (Generally communities attempt to separate the single family dwellings from the land uses that tend to have a higher traffic volume, noise level , or unpleasant ap­pearance. In the case of Monmouth no industry zone was provided for. The PPP Party had very specific values and they were attempting to maintain those values in Monmouth. Notice that prop­erty zoned R1-8 in Monmouth is most sheltered from traffic, noise, and clut­tered surroundings. In Dallas the new housing is being built away from the southern sect ion where industry, older housing and commercial activity occur).

TOTAL AREA

I I

DEVELOPED AREA VACANT AREA I I

PRIVATELY DEVELOPED AREA PUBLICLY DEVELOPED AREA

SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLINGS STREETS

TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS RAI LROAD PROPERTY

MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS

COMMERCIAL PUBLIC & SEMI-PUBLIC PROPERTY

LIGHT INDUSTRY

HEAVY INDUSTRY

FIG URE 1 USES OF URBAN LAND

-t NORTH

~

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CITY OF MONMOUTH OREGON

FIGURE 2 ZONING MAP OF DALLAS

MONMOUTH CITY LIMITS ..

FIGURE 3 ZONING MAP OF MONMOUTH

L&l EllD

A Agriculture R1 Slna1e f'lmily reddence R2 "~ultip1e d .... elling residence I Indu:Jtri1J.l C Commerical PU Public Use- parks , schools ,

c ity &. count y buildings f

3. nd servi ce nrClls .

Undeveloped land

Singl e family Single f!llDlly Mul ti ple family COlmlerlcal- Prof . Commerlcal- Genem1 Public Use

: :!!.o ... cc ,t.: ~."~.:,.:",,,_.,~ ... , -~ .. ::~:~::::: ~-

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5 DALLAS, LAND USE MAP

A R1 R2 I CA CP

PU

~ CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

PUBLIC AREAS

"1 ~, URBAN AREA BOUNDARY

DALLAS, OREGON r l'Q.~ COUHnl

URBAN AREA MAP

February 1970 ""'"' "~U.I

'1!, Hl ... ,

LEXlEND

A.griculture Single Cam.11y residence Multiple dvell1ng residence IndWl t r1o.1 COlll!lerlcal- auto oriented Commerlcal- pedestr ian

oriented Public Use

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FIGURE 6 DALLAS, AGE OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

FIGURE 7 STATE OF BUILDING REPAIR IN DALLAS

58

L&:EIID

[ill

• Buj l t since 1960

Bullt bet"".n 1945- 1960

Buil t prior to lQ45

• Deteriorated. condition

• Superior condition

MONMOUTH REZONING PROPOSAL/Figure 8

Monmouth is a town located in the Willamette RiverValley of Oregon with a population of about 5,600. It has a small state college located in the north­west section of town which enrolls about 3,800 students.

Presently the city has no industry. There is no land zoned for industrial use. Some citizens in town would wel­come the " right kind" of industry to town to help reduce property taxes in Monmouth. Others in the community have strong feelings in the direction of no industry under any circumstances. Recently a local political party called People for Planning and Progress (the PPP party) has been organized. The PPP party has as its major theme the development of Monmouth as a pleas­ant place to live. They are opposed to strip commercial development along the highways leading into town, the introduction of industry, and the fur­ther growth of Monmouth in either area or population.

Plastics, Inc. is interested in locating its new plastics stamping plant in Mon­mouth. The company president says they have bought the property for the plant, providing the Monmouth city

council will zone the property indus­trial. In addition, he states Plastics, Inc. is a clean industry and a good neighbor. The plant would employ two hundred workers and will have high standards for the control of air, water, and noise pollution. The building would be of moderate size and will not look like a factory according to the architect. Preliminary sketches confirm his state­ment.

The president of Plastics, Inc., the property owner, a real estate agent, and a downtown businessman are to appear before the city council to peti­tion for a zoning change to allow Plastics, Inc. to locate in Monmouth. The mayor and city council, who are elected by the citizens of Monmouth, are to hear the company's proposal, its reasons for locating in Monmouth, and the advantages to Monmouth if it were allowed to locate there. The towns­people are expected to turn out in large numbers to express their views and listen to the proposal. The mayor will preside at the meeting giving am­ple time for all points of view to be expressed and considered. The city council and the mayor will make the final decision.

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