[Ord. 776, 6/21/1993, § 806; as amended by Ord. 940, 1/7/2002, § 3; by Ord. 1009, 12/4/2006; and by Ord. 1073, 10/4/2010]
1. Registration of Nonconformities. It shall be the responsibility of a party asserting a nonconformity to provide the evidence that it is lawful. A property owner may request a written statement of nonconformity from the Zoning Officer after providing sufficient evidence.
2. Continuation of Nonconformity. A lawful nonconforming use, structure or lot as defined by this chapter may be continued and may be sold and continued by new owners. Any expansion of, construction upon or change in use of a nonconformity shall only occur in conformance with this section.
3. Expansion of, Construction Upon or Change in Use of Nonconformities.
A. Nonconforming Structure.
(1) The Zoning Officer shall permit a nonconforming structure to be reconstructed or expanded as follows:
(a) When a lawful structure exists on the effective date of this chapter, or subsequent amendments thereto, that could not be built under the terms of this chapter by reason of restrictions on area, lot coverage, height or yards, it may be continued as long as it remains otherwise lawful, subject to the following provisions:
1) In any residential district where a structure is nonconforming because it does not fulfill the yard requirements of the district in which it is located, it may be enlarged, provided that the addition is extended along the existing building line. Such extensions shall not be permitted to encroach any further into the yards than as currently nonconforming, nor cause a nonconformity.
2) In no case shall any addition be larger than 25% of the gross floor area of the existing building.
3) A nonconforming structure, which is damaged by fire, explosion or act of God, may be rebuilt and used for the same purposes, provided that the reconstruction of the building is commenced within one year from the date of the destruction of the building, and is carried out to completion without undue delay. In no case shall the reconstructed structure be larger than the one existing at the time of destruction.
(2) In the case of a nonconforming structure that is occupied as a nonconforming use, any expansion shall also meet the requirements of this section regarding nonconforming uses.
B. Nonconforming Lot.
(1) New permitted structures for a single permitted by right principal use and its customary accessory uses may be constructed, reconstructed or expanded on a nonconforming lot of record as a permitted by right use if all of the following requirements are met:
(a) The lot area is at least 40% of the minimum lot area.
(b) The lot width is at least 40% of the minimum lot width.
(c) The lot is a lot of record that lawfully existed prior to the adoption of this chapter or an applicable subsequent amendment.
(d) Minimum setbacks and other requirements of this chapter are complied with for any new construction or expanded area.
(e) For a dwelling on a nonconforming lot, the front door shall face a public street, and the dwelling shall have a side facing onto a public street that has an appearance typical of a front of a dwelling.
(2) Setbacks. The Zoning Hearing Board may grant a special exception to reduce the required setbacks for construction on a nonconforming lot if the Board determines that such reduction would result in a building that would be more compatible with neighboring buildings than would be built if the setback requirement was not reduced.
(3) Integration/Merger. Contiguous nonconforming lots under common ownership shall be integrated/merged to form lots that would be conforming or less nonconforming.
(4) Variances. If a proposed development on a nonconforming lot does not meet the requirements of the above §
27-806(3)(B), subsections
(1) and
(2), then development of the lot shall not occur unless a variance is granted by the Zoning Hearing Board. In addition to the standards stated for a variance in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq., the Zoning Hearing Board shall also review whether any alternative permitted uses could reasonably be made of the property that would less significantly adverse impacts upon the established character of an existing residential neighborhood than the proposed use.
C. Expansion of a Nonconforming Nonresidential Use. A nonconforming use or a building used by a nonconforming use shall not be expanded, except in accordance with the following provisions:
(1) An expansion of more than 5% in total building floor area shall require special exception approval from the Zoning Hearing Board under §
27-119.
(2) Such reconstruction or expansion shall be only upon the same lot that the nonconforming use was located upon at the time the use became nonconforming.
(3) The nonconforming use shall not be expanded by more than 25% beyond the total building floor area used by a nonconforming use or the total area covered by impervious surfaces of a nonconforming use, whichever is more restrictive. Such measurement shall be based upon the floor area and impervious surface area that existed at the time such use became nonconforming.
(a) These maximum increases shall be measured in aggregate over the entire life of the nonconformity.
(b) If the Zoning Hearing Board determines that such measurements are not applicable to a particular use, then the Zoning Hearing Board may establish a reasonable measure to base the 25% expansion upon.
(4) Any expansion of a nonconforming use shall meet the required setbacks and other requirements of this chapter, unless the Zoning Hearing Board grants a variance.
(5) The Zoning Hearing Board may require a nonconforming use that is expanding to provide: (i) a buffer yard with a planting screen meeting the requirements of §
27-803; and/or, (ii) an attractive weather-resistant solid wood fence of six feet minimum height.
D. Expansion of a Nonconforming Residential Use. An existing nonconforming residential use may be expanded in floor area as a permitted by right use provided that:
(1) The number of dwelling units or rental units, as applicable, is not increased.
(2) The expansion meets all applicable setbacks.
(3) No new types of nonconformities are created.
(4) A nonconformity is not made more severe (including the building area within the required setback area).
4. Damaged or Destroyed Nonconformities.
A. A nonconforming structure that has been destroyed or damaged equal to 50% or more of its total value by fire, windstorm, lightning or a similar cause deemed not to be the fault of the owner may rebuild in a nonconforming fashion only if:
(1) The application for a building permit is submitted within 18 months after the date of damage or destruction.
(2) Work begins in earnest within 12 months afterwards.
(3) A nonconformity shall not be created or increased by any reconstruction.
B. Rebuilding of a damaged or destroyed nonconformity shall not begin until plans for rebuilding have been presented and approved by the Zoning Officer. Any change of one nonconforming use to another nonconforming use shall comply with the provisions of this section.
C. Nonconforming Use of Open Land. All nonconforming off-premises signs, junkyards, outside storage areas and similar nonconforming uses of open land, when damaged to an extent of 50% or more of replacement cost, shall not be continued, repaired or reconstructed.
5. Abandonment of a Nonconformity.
A. If a non-conforming use of building or land is sufficiently shown to be discontinued, razed, removed or abandoned, subsequent use of such building or land shall conform with the regulations of the district in which it is located, except as provided for in the "damaged or destroyed non-conformity" provisions of this section.
B. The party asserting abandonment of a building or land shall be responsible to provide sufficient evidence to establish an intent to abandon the use, and that such use was abandoned.
6. Floodplain. See the floodplain area regulations in Part
5.
7. Changes from One Nonconforming use to Another.
A. Once changed to a conforming use, a structure or land or portion thereof shall not revert to a nonconforming use.
B. A nonconforming use may be changed to a different type of nonconforming use only if permitted as a special exception by the Zoning Hearing Board. The Board shall determine whether the applicant has provided sufficient proof to show that the proposed new use will be equally or less objectionable in external effects compared to the preexisting nonconforming use. The Board should review the following types of effects:
(1) Traffic generation (especially truck traffic).
(2) Noise, dust, fumes, gases, odor, glare, vibration, fire and explosive hazards.
(3) Amount and character of outdoor storage.
(4) Hours of operation if the use would be close to dwellings.
(5) Compatibility with the character of the surrounding area.
C. District Changes. Any uses, structures or lots that become nonconforming because of a zoning district change shall be regulated under this section on nonconformities.
8. Subdivision of Lots with Existing Buildings. Notwithstanding limitations imposed by other provisions of this chapter, a lot which had one or more principal building existing prior to September 8, 1987, may be divided into more than one nonconforming lot provided such division is for purposes of conveyance into separate ownership and provided the following conditions are met:
A. Each lot shall include a maximum of one principal building.
B. Each lot shall have vehicle access onto a public street.
C. Each lot shall be served by both public water and public sewage service.
D. The boundaries of all lots shall be designed in such a manner to maximize lot area, lot width, lot depth and yard areas and to result in a functional configuration that minimizes nonconformities.
E. Variances of lot area, width, depth and yard areas shall require action by the Zoning Hearing Board.
F. The Zoning Hearing Board shall not make a decision on a variance under this section until a minimum of 40 days after an application is filed, unless comments have already been received from the Planning Commission.