WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 303

suitability for particular uses, and with a view to con-
serving the value of buildings and encouraging the most ap-
propriate use of land throughout such municipality.

309F. The Mayor and Council of Snow Hill shall provide
for the manner in which such regulations and restrictions
and the boundaries of such districts shall be determined, es-
tablished, and enforced, and from time to time amended, sup-
plemented, or changed. However, no such regulation, re-
striction, or boundary shall become effective until after a
public hearing in relation thereto, at which parties in interest
and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard. At least
15 days' notice of the time and place of such hearing shall
be published in a paper of general circulation in Worcester
County.

309G. Such regulations, restrictions and boundaries may
from time to time be amended, supplemented, changed, modi-
fied, or repealed. In case, however, of a protest against
such change, signed by the owners of 20 per cent or more
either of the area of the lots included in such proposed
change, or of those immediately adjacent in the rear thereof
extending 100 feet therefrom, or of those directly opposite
lots, extending 100 feet from the street frontage of such
opposite lots, such amendment shall not become effective
except by the favorable vote of all the members of the legis-
lative body of such municipality. The provisions of the pre-
vious section relative to public hearings and official notice
shall apply equally to all changes or amendments.

309H. In order to avail itself of the powers conferred by
this Act, the Mayor and Council of Snow Hill shall appoint
a Commission, to be known as the Zoning Commission, to rec-
ommend the boundaries of the various original districts and
appropriate regulations to be enforced therein. Such Com-
mission shall make a preliminary report and hold public
hearings thereon before submitting its final report, and the
Mayor and Council of Snow Hill shall not hold its public
hearings or take action until it has received the final re-
port of such Commission.

309-I. The Mayor and Council of Snow Hill may provide
for the appointment of a Board of Zoning Appeals, and in the
regulations and restrictions adopted pursuant to the author-
ity of this Act may provide that the said Board of Zoning
Appeals may, in appropriate cases and subject to appropriate
conditions and safe-guards, make special exceptions to the
terms of the ordinance in harmony with its general purpose