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Stephenson County, IL
 
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
A. 
Any lawfully established use of a building or land, on the effective date of this chapter, or of amendments hereto, that does not conform to the use regulations for the district in which it is located shall be deemed to be a legal nonconforming use and may be continued, except as otherwise provided herein.
B. 
Any legal nonconforming building or structure may be continued in use, provided there is no physical change other than necessary maintenance and repair, except as otherwise permitted herein.
C. 
Prior approval of buildings, structures, planned developments or subdivisions.
[Amended 7-10-1973]
(1) 
Any building or other structure for which a permit has been lawfully granted prior to the effective date of this chapter, or of amendments thereto, may be completed in accordance with the approved plans, provided construction is started within 90 days and diligently prosecuted to completion. Such building or other structure shall thereafter be deemed a lawfully established building.
(2) 
Any planned development or subdivision which has been approved prior to the effective date of this chapter, or of amendments thereto, may be completed in accordance with the approved plans, provided actual construction is started within one year and diligently prosecuted to completion. Such planned development or subdivision shall thereafter be deemed lawfully established.
A. 
Whenever any part of a building, structure or land occupied by a nonconforming use is changed to or replaced by a use conforming to the provisions of this chapter, such premises shall not thereafter be used or occupied by a nonconforming use, even though the building may have been originally designed and constructed for the prior nonconforming use.
B. 
Whenever a nonconforming use of a building or structure or part thereof has been discontinued for a period of one year, or whenever a clear intent on the part of the owner to abandon a nonconforming use is evident, such use shall not be reestablished after being discontinued or abandoned, and the use of the premises thereafter shall be in conformance with the regulations of the district, except whenever a nonconforming use dependent on seasonal trade has been discontinued for a period of one year, such use shall not thereafter be established and any future use shall be in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
Where no enclosed building is involved, discontinuance of a nonconforming use for a period of six months shall constitute abandonment, and the premises shall not thereafter be used in a nonconforming manner.
The provisions of §§ 400-24 and 400-25 shall also apply to buildings, structures, land or uses which hereafter become nonconforming due to any reclassification of zones under this chapter or any subsequent change in the regulations of this chapter, and any time periods specified for discontinuance of nonconforming uses shall be measured from the date of such reclassification or change.
The period of time during which the following nonconforming uses of buildings, structures or land may continue or remain in residential districts shall be limited to two years from the effective date of the ordinance or of any amendment thereto which causes the use to be nonconforming. Every such nonconforming use shall be completely removed from the premises at the expiration of the two-year period.
A. 
Any nonconforming use of a building or structure having an assessed valuation not in excess of $500 on the effective date of the ordinance.
B. 
All nonconforming signs, billboards and outdoor advertising structures.
C. 
Any nonconforming use of land where no enclosed building is involved, or where the only buildings employed are accessory or incidental to such use, or where such use is maintained in connection with a conforming building.
A. 
Normal maintenance of a building or other structure containing a nonconforming use is permitted, including necessary nonstructural repairs and incidental alterations which do not extend or intensify the nonconforming use.
B. 
No structural alteration shall be made in a building or other structure containing a nonconforming use, except in the following situations:
(1) 
When the alteration is required by law.
(2) 
When the alteration will actually result in eliminating the nonconforming use.
(3) 
When a building in a residential district containing residential nonconforming uses may be altered in any way to improve the livability, provided no structural alteration shall be made which would increase the number of dwelling units or the bulk of the building.
[Amended 12-15-1998 by Ord. No. 98-10-236; 11-12-2002 by Ord. No. 02-21-269]
A. 
If a building or other structure containing a nonconforming use is damaged or destroyed by any means to the extent of 50% or more of its replacement value at that time, the building or other structure can be rebuilt or used thereafter only for a conforming use and in compliance with the provisions of the district in which it is located. In the event the damage or destruction is less than 50% of its replacement value, based on prevailing costs, the building may then be restored to its original condition and the occupancy or use of such building which existed at the time of such partial destruction may continue.
B. 
A nonconforming residential use within a Business (B-1, B-2, B-3), Limited Manufacturing (M-1) or Agricultural (A-1, A-2) District shall be exempt from the provisions of the above subsection, with the exception of any nonconforming residential use located within a special flood hazard area as defined in Article XV of this chapter.
C. 
In either event, restoration or repair of the building or other structure must be started within a period of six months from the date of damage or destruction, and diligently prosecuted to completion.
A. 
A nonconforming building may be enlarged or extended only if the entire building is thereafter devoted to a conforming use and is made to conform to all the regulations of the district in which it is located.
B. 
No building partially occupied by a nonconforming use shall be altered in such a way as to permit the enlargement or expansion of the space occupied by such nonconforming use.
C. 
No nonconforming use may be enlarged or extended in such a way as to occupy any required usable open space, or any land beyond the boundaries of the zoning lot as it existed on the effective date of this chapter, or to displace any conforming uses in the same building or on the same parcel.
[Added 7-11-2007 by Ord. No. 07-07-1462]
Whenever a lawfully existing building or other structure otherwise conforms to the use regulations of this chapter, but is nonconforming only in the particular manner hereinafter specified, the building and use thereof shall be exempt from the requirements of §§ 400-27 and 400-28 of this article:
A. 
In any residence district, where a dwelling is nonconforming only as to the number of dwelling units it contains, provided that no such building shall be altered in any way so as to increase the number of dwelling units therein.
B. 
In any district, where an established building, structure or other use is nonconforming with respect to the standards prescribed in this chapter for any of the following:
(1) 
Floor area ratio.
(2) 
Yards, front, side, or rear.
(3) 
Off-street parking or loading.
(4) 
Lot area.
(5) 
Building height.
(6) 
Gross floor area.
C. 
In any district, where an established building or structure is nonconforming with respect to the front, side or rear yards, said building or structure may be replaced if such building or structure maintains the same footprint as the former structure, provided a letter from the governing road authority is produced at the time of permitting, stating that the governing road authority has no objection to placement of the building or structure.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. IV).
Any nonconforming use may be made a conditional use, when such conditional use is permitted in the district in which it is located, by the granting of a conditional use permit, and without holding a public hearing.