The purposes of this chapter are to guide the appropriate use of development of all lands in the township in a manner which will promote the public health, safety, morals and general welfare; to secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other natural and manmade disasters; to provide adequate light, air and open space; to promote the establishment of appropriate population densities and concentration that will contribute to the well-being of persons, neighborhood, communities and preservation of the environment; to provide sufficient space in appropriate locations for a variety of agricultural, residential, recreational, commercial and industrial uses and open space, both public and private, according to their respective environmental requirements in order to meet the needs of all township residents; to encourage the location and design of transportation routes which will promote the free flow of traffic while discouraging location of such facilities and routes which will result in congestion or blight; to promote a desirable visual environment through creative development techniques and good civic design and arrangements; to promote the conservation of open space and valuable natural resources; and to prevent urban sprawl and degradation of the environment through improper use of land.

It is also the purpose of this chapter to state as clearly and simply as possible the intended requirements to encourage wide understanding of its meaning and to avoid costly technical and legal problems. For the purposes hereinabove mentioned, this chapter designates, regulates and restricts the location and use of buildings and structures and land for residents, commerce, trade, industry and other purposes, the height and number of stories and size of buildings and other structures hereafter erected or altered, regulates and determines the sizes of yards and other open spaces; and regulates and limits the density of population. In order to effect its purpose, this chapter divides the township into zoning districts of such number, shape and area as may be deemed the best to carry out the purposes of this chapter.