In any district in which single-family dwellings are permitted, notwithstanding limitations imposed by other provisions of this chapter, a single-family dwelling and customary accessory buildings may be erected on any single lot of record at the effective date of adoption or amendment of this chapter. Such lot must be in separate ownership and not of contiguous frontage with other lots in the same ownership. The exception to this requirement that the lot be in separate ownership is when the contiguous nonconforming lots in single ownership are the same 60 feet in width and all other lots in the same plan of subdivision have similar widths, the nonconforming lots may be sold separately for single-family development under this section.

This section shall apply even though such lot fails to meet the requirements for area or width, or both, that are generally applicable in the district, provided that yard dimensions and other requirements not involving area or width, or both, of the lot shall conform to the regulations for the district in which such lot is located. Otherwise, variance of area, width, and yard requirements shall be obtained only through action of the Zoning Hearing Board.

With the exception of lots approved and recorded between April 15, 1974, and October 15, 2007, if two or more lots or combinations of lots and portions of lots with continuous frontage in single ownership are of record at the time of passage or amendment of this chapter, and if all or part of the lots do not meet the requirements for lot width and area as established by this chapter, the lands involved shall be considered to be an undivided parcel for the purposes of this chapter. Before any zoning permit is issued, a consolidation plat must be approved and recorded, in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 252, Subdivision and Land Development, with the exception of lots approved and recorded between April 15, 1974, and, October 15, 2007, that are contiguous to each other, shall not be required to be consolidated. No portion of said parcel shall be used or sold which does not meet lot width and area requirements established by this chapter. Any change in lot lines necessary to meet the minimum requirements of this chapter shall constitute a revision to the recorded plan and shall meet all applicable requirements of Chapter 252, Subdivision and Land Development.

No such nonconforming use of land shall be enlarged or increased nor extended to cover a greater land area than that covered at the date of adoption or amendment of this chapter, except when authorized by the Zoning Hearing Board upon the Board's determination that the enlargement, increase or extension is necessitated by the natural growth and expansion of the use, provided that no expansion of a nonconforming use shall take place on land acquired after the nonconformity was created.

No such nonconforming use of land shall be moved, in whole or in part, to any other portion of the lot or parcel occupied by such use at the effective date of adoption or amendment of this chapter, unless a move is required as a result of natural causes not the fault of the property owner.

If any such nonconforming use of land ceases for any reason for a period of one year and the landowner indicates an intention to abandon the nonconforming use, any subsequent use of such land shall conform to the regulations specified by this chapter for the district in which such land is located.

No existing structure or structure and premises in combination devoted to a use not permitted by this chapter in the district in which it is located shall be enlarged, extended, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered, except in changing the use of the structure to a use permitted in the district in which it is located, unless the Zoning Hearing Board, after the public hearing conducted in accordance with the procedures specified in § 300-36B of this chapter, shall determine that the enlargement or extension is necessitated by the natural expansion and growth of trade of the nonconforming use, or unless the property has been destroyed by natural causes, including deterioration or blight, in which case it can be rebuilt within the same footprint. Approval of the Zoning Hearing Board shall not be required for routine maintenance, repairs to strengthen or restore the structure to a safe condition or any other cosmetic alteration which does not change the use of the structure or increase the area of the structure devoted to the nonconforming use.

Any nonconforming use may be extended throughout any parts of a building which were manifestly arranged or designed for such use at the time of adoption or amendment of this chapter, but no such use shall be extended to occupy any land outside such building.

Adaptive reuse. For the purposes of implementing the provisions of this section, the use and occupancy of a legal nonconforming structure or a structure conforming for use on land in part or in whole within a C or M District shall be permitted as follows as an adaptive reuse:

If no structural alterations are made, any nonconforming use of a structure, or structure and premises, may be changed to another nonconforming use, provided that the Zoning Hearing Board, either by general rule or by making findings in the specific case, shall find that the proposed use is equally appropriate or more appropriate to the district than the existing nonconforming use. In permitting such change, the Zoning Hearing Board may require appropriate conditions and safeguards in accord with the provisions of this chapter.

Any structure, or structure and land in combination, in or on which a nonconforming use is superseded by a permitted use shall thereafter conform to the regulations for the district in which such structure is located, and the nonconforming use may not thereafter be resumed.

When a nonconforming use of a structure, or structure and premises in combination, is discontinued or abandoned for one year, and the landowner indicates an intention to abandon the nonconforming use, the structure, or structure and premises in combination, shall not thereafter be used except in conformance with the regulations of the district in which it is located.

Where nonconforming use status applies to a structure and premises in combination, removal or destruction of the structure shall eliminate the nonconforming status of the land.

Decks, porches and additions to nonconforming structures shall be permitted without a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board, provided that the deck, porch or addition does not increase the nonconformity of the nonconforming principal structure and all other area and bulk regulations of the zoning district are met for the deck, porch or addition to the structure.

No such structure may be enlarged or altered in any way which increases its nonconformity, unless an enlargement or structural alteration makes the building more conforming or is authorized by a variance granted by the Zoning Hearing Board or is required by law.

Rebuilding of damaged or destroyed structures.

In the event that a nonconforming deck, porch, carport or other unenclosed structure or architectural feature which is attached to the principal structure is removed for whatever reason, said nonconforming deck, porch, carport or other unenclosed structure or architectural feature may be reconstructed in its original location without a variance from the Zoning Hearing Board, provided that the reconstruction is completed within 18 months of the date of removal of the nonconforming unenclosed accessory structure or architectural feature.

Should such structure be moved for any reason, other than reasons resulting from causes not deemed to be the fault of the owner, for any distance whatsoever, it shall thereafter conform to the regulations for the district in which it is located after it is moved.

Nonconforming signs:

When any nonconforming use, structure or lot exists, it shall be the responsibility of the landowner to provide evidence of the date upon which the nonconforming use, structure or lot was established or acquired. Information regarding the nonconforming use shall be supplied by the landowner on an application form supplied by the Township.

The Zoning Officer or his authorized representative shall act upon all requests for registration of nonconforming uses, structures and lots within 30 days of receipt of an application for registration and shall maintain a register of all approved applications for registration of nonconforming uses, structures and lots. Failure of the Zoning Officer to act within the required time shall result in deemed denial.