Nonconforming lot means a lot, the area or dimensions of which was lawful prior to the adoption or amendment of this Chapter, but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located by reason of such adoption or amendment.

Nonconforming structure means a structure or part of a structure, which does not comply with the applicable use or extent of use provisions of this Chapter or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such structure lawfully existed prior to enactment of such ordinance or amendment or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation. Such nonconforming structures include, but are not limited to, nonconforming signs.

Nonconforming use means a use, whether of land or of structure, which does not comply with the applicable use provisions of this Chapter or amendment heretofore or hereafter enacted, where such use was lawfully in existence prior to the enactment of such ordinance or amendment or prior to the application of such ordinance or amendment to its location by reason of annexation.

A building or structure may be erected or altered on any lot held as of the effective date of this Chapter (July 1975) in single and separate ownership which is not of the required width or minimum area, provided that the lot is of sufficient size to assure adequate and safe facilities for the disposal of sewage and waste products and there is adequate separation between sewage and waste disposal system and all water supplies; and provided that:

This exception shall not apply to any two or more contiguous lots in single or common ownership as of or subsequent to the effective date of this Chapter (July 1975), in any case where a re-parceling or replatting could create one or more lots which would conform to the ordinance or which could be consolidated to minimize the nonconformity.

A nonconforming structure may be extended along the existing building lines or existing building plane of the existing nonconformity, provided that the expansion does not create a nonconformity with any other setback requirement and does not extend further into a required yard.

A nonconforming use may be extended by special exception; provided, that:

A nonconforming structure or any structure containing a nonconforming use wholly or partially destroyed by fire, explosion, flood or other phenomenon, legally condemned or needing to be replaced or reconstructed for any reason, may be replaced or reconstructed and used for the same nonconforming use; provided, that replacement or reconstruction shall not increase the extent of any nonconformity and that replacement or reconstruction of the structure shall commence within one year from the date the structure was destroyed, condemned or removed and shall be carried on without interruption.

Any building(s) or structure(s) including mobile/manufactured homes and storage sheds, which are nonconforming with respect to area and/or dimensional criteria, may be replaced with another building or structure provided that the replacement building or structure does not increase the extent of any nonconformity beyond the existing nonconformity.

A change in use (as defined in §27-202 of this Chapter) includes any change among the specific uses identified under each category in the §27-404, “Table of Use Regulations.” Once changed to a conforming use, no structure or land shall be permitted to revert to a nonconforming use. A nonconforming use may be changed to another nonconforming use only under all of the following conditions: