This ordinance shall be known and cited as the "City of Saline Zoning Ordinance."

The purpose of this ordinance is to promote, protect, regulate, restrict and provide for the use of land and buildings within the city; to meet the needs of the state's residents for places of residence, recreation, industry, trade, service, and other uses of land; to insure that uses of the land shall be situated in appropriate locations and relationships; to limit the inappropriate overcrowding of land and congestion of population and transportation systems and other public facilities; to facilitate adequate and efficient provision for transportation systems, sewage disposal, water, energy, education, recreation, and other public service and facility needs; and to promote public health, safety, and welfare.

The city is divided for those purposes into districts of the number and shape that are considered best suited to carry out this section. For each of those districts, regulations are imposed designating the uses for which buildings or structures shall or shall not be erected or altered, and designating the trades, industries, and the land uses or activities that shall be permitted or excluded or subjected to special regulations.

It is also the purpose of this ordinance to provide for the establishment of a board of appeals and its powers and duties; to provide for the administration and enforcement hereof and for penalties for its violation; and to provide for the repeal of any and all ordinances inconsistent herewith.

(1)

This ordinance shall be liberally construed in such manner as to best implement its purpose. In interpreting and applying the provisions of this ordinance, the requirements shall be held to be the minimum for the promotion of the public health, safety, convenience, comfort, prosperity and general welfare.

(2)

No building or structure, or part thereof, shall hereafter be erected, constructed, reconstructed or altered, and no new use or change shall be made of any building, structure or land, or part thereof, except as permitted by the provisions of this ordinance.

(3)

Nothing within this ordinance shall be construed to prevent compliance with an order by the appropriate authority to correct, improve, strengthen, or restore to a safe or healthy condition, any part of a building or premises declared unsafe or unhealthy.

If a court of competent jurisdiction shall declare any part of this ordinance to be invalid, such ruling shall not affect any other provisions of this ordinance not specifically included in said ruling.

If a court of competent jurisdiction shall declare invalid the application of any provision of this ordinance to a particular land, parcel, lot, district, use, building, or structure, such ruling shall not affect the application of said provision to any other parcel, lot, district, use, building, or structure not specifically included in said ruling.

Where a condition imposed by a provision of this ordinance upon the use of any lot, building, or structure is conflicting with a condition imposed by any other provision of this ordinance, or by the provision of an ordinance adopted under any other law, the provision which is more restrictive shall govern.

This ordinance is not intended to modify or annul any easement, covenant, or other private agreement provided that where any provision of this ordinance is more restrictive or imposes a higher standard or requirement than such easement, covenant, or other private agreement, the provision of this ordinance shall govern.

It is hereby expressly declared that nothing in this ordinance be held or construed to give or grant to any person, firm, or corporation any vested right, license, privilege or permit.