The purpose of this chapter is to protect the rights of property owners who lawfully established, and have continuously maintained in a lawful manner, a use, structure or lot which, due to the adoption of or amendment to this Code, is no longer permitted. Such legal nonconforming use, structure or lot shall continue to operate under the provision of law under which the nonconforming use, structure or lot was recognized so long as the nonconforming use, structure or lot is not in violation of such provision of law, the adoption of this chapter notwithstanding.
(a) Nothing in this chapter prohibits the voluntary compliance with any future ordinance, regulation, or incentive.
(b) The regulations of this chapter are intended to restrict further investments that would make nonconformities more permanent in their location in inappropriate districts as well as to afford opportunities for creative use and reuse of those other nonconformities that contribute to a neighborhood and are consistent with the goals of the Comprehensive Plan.
(c) A nonconforming use may be nonconforming either by virtue of characteristics of the physical structure that fail to comply with applicable legal standards, or due to a use of the structure that fails to comply with applicable land use restrictions.
(Ord. 2021-4. Passed 1-25-21.)