ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR.                  159

buildings, structures, and land for trade, industry, residence
or other purposes.

2.     DISTRICTS. For any and all of said purposes the Mayor
and Council of the Town of Gaithersburg may divide the mun-
icipality into districts of such number, shape, and area as
may be deemed best suited to carry out the purpose of this
Act; and within such districts it may regulate and restrict the
erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, or use
of buildings, structures or land. All such regulations shall be
uniform for each class or kind of buildings throughout each
district, but the regulations of one district may differ from
those in other districts.

3.     Purposes. Such regulations shall be made in accord-
ance with a comprehensive plan and designed to lessen conges-
tion in the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic, and other
dangers; to promote health and the general welfare; to provide
adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land;
to avoid undue concentration of population; to facilitate the
adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools,
parks, and other public requirements. Such regulations shall
be made with reasonable consideration, among other things, to
the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for
particular uses, and with a view to conserving the value of.
buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land
throughout the municipality.

4.     METHOD OF PROCEDURE. The Mayor and Council of
the Town of Gaithersburg shall provide for the manner in
which such regulations and restrictions and the boundaries
of such districts shall be determined, established, and en-
forced, 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
thereto1, 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 an official paper
or paper of general circulation in the Town of Gaithersburg.

5.      CHANGES. Such regulations, restrictions and bound-
aries may from time to time be amended, supplemented,
changed, modified, or repealed. In case, however, of a protest
against such change, signed by the owners of 20 per cent, or