CHAPTER VI— AREA DISTRICTS 



The districting resolution herewith submitted, together with the accom- 

 panying area district maps provide for five classes of area districts, A, B, 

 C, D and E, with varying regulations as to size of yards, courts and other 

 open spaces. 



Except in A districts, any building that is back to back with the rear of 

 another property and is more than 55 feet back from the nearest street must 

 have a rear yard. The requirement for a rear yard is reciprocal. No 

 building is required to have a rear yard unless a similar obligation could be 

 imposed with respect to any building hereafter erected on the plot immedi- 

 ately behind such yard. The 55-foot exemption is inserted on the assump- 

 tion that a building running back but 55 feet from the street can be lighted 

 in its most used parts directly from the street. A corner building is seldom 

 back to back with the rear portion of another building and consequently 

 would seldom require a rear yard. 1 . (See Figure 156.) If, however, a build- 

 ing runs through the middle of a block from street to street and between 

 lots for which rear yards are required it will be required to leave uncovered 

 in some part of its extent courts equivalent in size to the space that its 

 neighbors are required to devote to rear yards. 2 (See Figure 157.) The 

 depth of the rear yard at its lowest level must be at least 10 per cent, of the 

 depth of the lot, but need not in any case exceed 10 feet at such level. For 

 any building not within a residence district the rear yard may start from a 

 level 18 feet 3 above the curb. This permits all buildings in the business, 

 unrestricted and undetermined districts to cover the entire lot for the first 

 floor. For any building in a residence district the rear yard must start from 

 the curb level, except that the usual one-story accessory buildings may cover 

 40 per cent, of the prescribed area of the yard. 



In addition to the percentage requirement as to the depth of the yard 

 at its lowest level, the yard must increase in depth with the height of the 

 yard being not less than one inch, two inches, three inches, four inches or 

 five inches in depth for each one foot of its height, according as it is located 

 in the A, B, C, D or E district. The increased depth of yard required as 

 the building increases in height may be secured by stepping back at each 

 story or at each two, three, five or more stories. The purpose of the regula- 

 tion is to preserve a reasonable angle of light for the lighting of the lower 

 windows. 



In every building hereafter constructed in which a room in which per- 

 sons live, sleep or work receives its light and air in whole or in part from 

 a court or yard, at least one court or yard having a window opening from 

 such room shall be of the size prescribed for a required court. The least 



' Under the Resolution of July 25, 1916, a corner building is specifically exempted 

 from the rear yard provision. See sec. 16, par. (a), page 240. 



'Modified by Resolution of July 25, 1916. See sec. 16, par. (d). 

 '23 feet in Resolution of July 25, 1916. See sec. 16, par. (b). 



