A.
The lawful uses of a building or structure or the lawful use of any
land, excepting mobile home parks, as existing and lawful at the time
of enactment of this chapter, or of an amendment thereto, may be continued
except as hereinafter provided, although such use does not conform
with the provisions of such ordinance or amendment.
B.
Nonconforming uses shall not be increased in area or intensity except
that a nonconforming use of a structure may be extended throughout
any parts of the structure that were manifestly arranged or designed
for such use at the time of adoption of this chapter.
C.
Nonconforming uses may be increased in area or intensity when approved
by the Zoning Hearing Board. A request to increase the area or intensity
of a nonconforming use shall be administered as a variance. Before
granting such a request, the Zoning Hearing Board must consider all
significant relevant factors and determine that the increase in area
or intensity will not materially add to the deleterious affect of
the use upon nearby property and uses or upon the community.
D.
A nonconforming use may be changed to decrease its nonconformity
upon approval as a variance by the Zoning Hearing Board.
E.
The Zoning Officer shall make an official registration of each and
every nonconforming use as of the date of enactment of this chapter.
F.
A single-family dwelling unit, presently located on a substandard
size lot, may be rebuilt on its original foundation following destruction
by fire or natural disaster, upon approval of the Zoning Hearing Board.
G.
Any nonconforming uses which are abandoned for a period of one year
may not be continued thereafter, and in any event, continued nonconforming
uses for residential occupation are restricted to the original owner
of the property.
(1)
"Abandonment" is hereby defined as relinquishment of the right
to a nonconforming use by cessation of such nonconforming use for
any reason.
H.
All existing mobile homes on individual lots are defined as a nonconforming
use for residential occupation. In any event, this nonconforming use
for residential occupation is restricted to the existing mobile home
on any individual lot. No mobile home on any individual lot shall
be replaced with another mobile home without prior approval of the
Borough Council.
