Residential buildings or structures. Any existing one- or two-family residential building or structure, or building accessory thereto, made noncomplying as to bulk by this chapter or any amendment thereof shall be permitted to comply with the yard setback requirements as specified for the highest residential district having the same or less lot width. In no event, however, shall the yard and setback requirements of any lot be less than the requirements for the R-15 District. No front setback may in any event be closer to the designated street line than the existing established setback. For any existing building or structure on a lot having less than a 100-foot lot width, the minimum standards will be the same as those specified in Subsection E of this section.

[1]Nonresidential buildings, structures or lots. Normal maintenance and repair, structural alteration in, or reconstruction or enlargement of, a building or structure with noncomplying bulk or parking requirements is permitted if the same does not increase the degree of or create any new noncomplying bulk or parking in such building or structure or lot.

Two or more adjoining, noncomplying subdivision lots, regardless of ownership, in a subdivision approved by the Chestnut Ridge (or previously Town of Ramapo) Planning Board shall have three years from the date of filing with the office of the County Clerk to obtain a building permit. Two or more adjoining noncomplying lots in a subdivision approved by the Planning Board and filed with the office of the County Clerk more than three years prior to the effective date of this article, or meeting the equivalent requirement of the Town of Ramapo for the three-year period prior to the enactment of this article, and in the same ownership, shall not be eligible to receive a building permit. Said subdivision or part thereof shall be resubmitted to the Village Planning Board for approval in accordance with the applicable provisions of this article. Any lot in a subdivision approved by the Village Planning Board after the effective date of this article, but which is made noncomplying as to bulk by any future amendments of this article, shall have three years from the date of filing to obtain a building permit.

Noncomplying lots.

Noncomplying lots.

A lot shall not be considered noncomplying with respect to the lot area, lot width, front setback, front yard, street frontage, development coverage, or floor area ratio requirements of this chapter only to the extent that such condition of noncompliance is the result of a street right-of-way widening reservation or dedication, whether in fee or easement, required by the Planning Board at the time of subdivision or site development plan approval.

Repair and alterations. Normal maintenance, repair or alteration of a building or structure occupied by a nonconforming use is permitted if it does not extend the nonconforming use. No extension, alteration or enlargement shall be made in a building or structure occupied by a nonconforming use, nor in a nonconforming nonbuilding use except:

Change of use. Any nonconforming use may be changed to any conforming use or, on application to and with the approval of the Board of Appeals, to any use which the Board of Appeals deems to be more similar in character with the uses permitted in the district in which said change of use is proposed. Any nonconforming building, structure or nonbuilding use may be changed to a conforming use, regardless of whether the newly created conforming use is noncomplying as to bulk, subject to approval by the Board of Appeals, subject to the same general considerations applicable to the granting of special permits and subject to site development plan approval.

Cessation of use. If active and continuous operations are not carried on in a nonconforming use during a continuous period of one year, the building or land where such nonconforming use previously existed shall thereafter be occupied and used only for a conforming use. Intent to resume active operations shall not affect the foregoing. The time period set forth herein shall be tolled for any cessation of use pursuant to a court order.

Damage and destruction or demolition. A building or structure occupied by a nonconforming use or noncomplying as to bulk or parking requirements, damaged by fire or other causes, including demolition; to the extent of 50% or greater of the last full value as shown in the records located in the Town Assessor's office, excluding the assessed valuation of the land thereof, shall not be repaired or rebuilt except in conformity with the requirements of this article, including parking requirements. Any building, structure or any part thereof occupied by a nonconforming use or noncomplying as to bulk or parking requirements, which is damaged to an extent less than 50% of last full value as shown in the records located in the Town Assessor's office, excluding the assessed valuation of the land, may be repaired, provided that a building permit is obtained within one year after such damage; otherwise such building, structure or part thereof shall thereafter be occupied only by a conforming use and shall comply with the bulk and parking requirements of this article.

Nonconforming open storage yards, outdoor display. Any nonconforming open storage yard or any outdoor display or storage of merchandise which is nonconforming may be continued for one year after the effective date of this article.

Nonconforming industrial uses. In any residential district, any nonconforming industrial use which is permitted in the PILO District may be continued for eight years after the effective date of this provision of the Ramapo zoning law (the preceding effective zoning control) or 28 years after the initial establishment of such use or an addition thereto that adds 50% or more to the real value of such use, whichever is the longer period, provided that, after the expiration of that period, such nonconforming use shall then be terminated.

Modification by Board of Appeals. If an application is made at least six months before the expiration of the period prescribed for termination of a nonconforming use or noncomplying bulk, and the Board of Appeals shall find that the period prescribed is unreasonable or inadequate for the amortization of the special value of the property resulting from such nonconforming use or noncomplying bulk, then the Board of Appeals may grant such an extension of the period prescribed as it shall deem to be reasonable and adequate for such amortization, provided that no such period of extension shall exceed 100% of the period prescribed and that such extension may be granted only once for any use.

Continued use after termination date is a violation. The continuation of a nonconforming use or noncomplying bulk after the termination date fixed for the same shall constitute a violation of this article.