Title. This chapter shall be known as the "Town of Cato Zoning Ordinance."

Purpose. Such ordinance is made to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the community, and to lessen congestion in the streets, to secure safety from fire, flood, panic and other dangers, to provide adequate light and air, to prevent the overcrowding of land, to avoid concentration of population, to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewage, schools, parks and other public requirements, under and pursuant to Article 16 of the Town Law of the State of New York, the size of buildings and other structures, the percentage of a lot that may be occupied, the size of yards, the density of populations, and the use of buildings, structures and land for trade, industry, residence or other purposes are hereby restricted and regulated as hereinafter provided.

Jurisdiction. The regulations and provisions of this chapter shall apply to and affect all lands in the Town of Cato which are not within the incorporated limits of the Village of Cato or the Village of Meridian.

Application of ordinance. No building, structure or land shall be used or occupied and no building or structure or part thereof shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved, enlarged or structurally altered unless in conformity with the regulations of this chapter. However, this chapter shall not require any change to any building, structure or use legally existing at the effective date of this chapter, or any amendment thereto; or to any building, structure, or use planned and construction started in compliance with existing laws prior to the effective date of the Ordinance, or any amendment thereto, and completed within a one-year period after the effective date of this chapter, or any amendment thereto, except as provided in Article XIII.