Chapter 1 - Statement of Legislative Intent

The zoning districts established in this Resolution (as set forth in the district regulations in Articles II, III and IV and on the zoning maps) are designed to guide the future use of the City's land by encouraging the development of desirable residential, commercial and manufacturing areas with appropriate groupings of compatible and related uses and thus to promote and to protect public health, safety and general welfare.

As a necessary corollary, in order to carry out such purposes, non-conforming uses which adversely affect the development of such areas must be subject to certain limitations.  The regulations governing non-conforming uses set forth in this Chapter are therefore adopted in order to provide a gradual remedy for existing undesirable conditions resulting from such incompatible non-conforming uses, which are detrimental to the achievement of such purposes.  While such uses are generally permitted to continue, these regulations are designed to restrict further investment in such uses, which would make them more permanent establishments in inappropriate locations.

In the case of a few objectionable non-conforming uses which are detrimental to the character of the districts in which such uses are located, a reasonable statutory period of life is established for such uses, in order to permit the owner gradually to make his plans for the future during the period when he is allowed to continue the non-conforming uses of his property, thereby minimizing any loss, while at the same time assuring the public that the district in which such non-conformity exists will eventually benefit from a more nearly uniform character.

In the case of buildings not complying with the bulk regulations of this Resolution, the regulations governing non-complying buildings set forth in this Chapter are adopted in order to permit the appropriate use of such buildings but to prevent the creation of additional non-compliances or increases in the degree of existing non-compliances.

These regulations are thus designed to preserve the character of the districts established in this Resolution in the light of their peculiar suitability to particular uses, and thus to promote and protect public health, safety and general welfare.