Any lawful nonconforming structures existing at the time of
the adoption or amendment of this chapter may be continued, although
its size or location does not conform with the lot width, lot area,
yard, height, parking and loading, and access provisions of this chapter.
However, it shall not be extended, enlarged, reconstructed, moved
or structurally altered except when required to do so by law or order
or so as to comply with the provisions of this chapter unless a variance
is first obtained from the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Once a nonconforming use or structure has been changed to conform,
it shall not revert back to a nonconforming use or structure. Once
the Village Board has permitted the substitution of a more restrictive
nonconforming use for an existing nonconforming use, the substituted
use shall lose its status as a legal nonconforming use and become
subject to all the conditions required by the Village Board.
An existing lot which does not contain sufficient area to conform
to the dimensional requirements of this chapter, but which is at least
50 feet wide and 5,000 square feet in area, may be used as a single-family
building site, provided that the use is permitted in the zoning district
and the lot is of record in the County Register of Deeds' office prior
to the effective date of this chapter; and, further provided, that
the lot is in separate ownership from abutting lands. If two or more
vacant substandard lots with continuous frontage have the same ownership
as of the effective date of this chapter, the lots involved shall
be considered to be an individual parcel for the purpose of this chapter.
Substandard lots shall be required to meet the setbacks and other
yard requirements of this chapter. A building permit for the improvement
of a lot with lesser dimensions and requisites than those stated above
shall be issued only after approval of a variance by the Board of
Zoning Appeals.