ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 1333

encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout
such municipality.

(d) Method of Procedure. The council shall provide
for the manner in which such regulations and restrictions
and the boundaries of such districts shall be determined,
established and enforced, and from time to time amended,
supplemented or changed. However, no such regulation,
restriction or boundary shall become effective until after a
public hearing in relation thereto, at which parties in in-
terest and citizens shall have an opportunity to be heard.
At least fifteen (15) days' notice of the time anol place of
such hearing shall be published in an official paper or a
paper of general circulation in such municipality.

(e) Changes. Such regulations, restrictions and bound-
aries may from time to time be amended, supplanted,
changed, modified or repealed. In case, however, of a pro-
test against such change signed by the owners of twenty
per cent. (20%) or more either of the area of the lots
included in such proposed change or of those immediately
adjacent in the rear thereof extending 175 feet therefrom,
or of those directly opposite thereto extending 175 feet
from the street frontage of such opposite lots, such amend-
ment shall not become effective except by the favorable
vote of three-fourths of all the members of the legislative
body of such municipality. The provisions of the previous
section relative to public hearings and official notice shall
apply equally to all changes or amendments.

(f) In order that the municipality may avail itself of
the zoning powers conferred by this Act, it shall be the
duty of the Planning Commission to recommend the bound-
aries of the various original districts and appropriate
regulations to be enforced therein. Such Commission shall
make a preliminary report and hold public hearings thereon
before submitting its final report and the council shall not
hold its public hearings or take action until it has received
the final report of such commission.

SEC. 13. BOARD OF APPEALS. The council shall provide
for the appointment of a Board of Appeals, and in the reg-
ulations and restrictions adopted pursuant to the authority
of this Act may provide that the said Board of Appeals
may, in cases where it is exceptionally difficult if not im-
possible to comply with the exact provisions of the ordi-
nance, make such variation as will prevent unwarranted
hardship or injustice and at the same time most nearly