1. 
The zoning districts established by this chapter are designed to guide future use of land in the Borough by encouraging the development of desirable residential, commercial and industrial areas, with appropriate groupings of compatible and related uses, to the end of promoting and protecting the public health, safety, comfort, prosperity and other aspects of the general welfare.
2. 
To achieve this end, lawful existing uses which would be prohibited or restricted under the terms of this chapter, or future amendments, and which do not conform to the character and regulations of the zoning district in which they are located shall be subject to certain limitations.
3. 
Similarly, buildings or other structures which do not comply with one or more of the applicable district requirements as to lot width, minimum lot area and yard spaces, lot coverages, or building height, are deemed to be nonconforming.
4. 
Nonconforming uses and structures will generally be permitted to remain; the purpose of regulating them is to restrict further investment in uses or structures which are inappropriate to their location, except when the Zoning Hearing Board determines that the enlargement, expansion or extension is necessitated by the natural expansion and growth of trade. Further, nonconforming single-family dwellings on lots previously laid out or recorded shall not be deemed to be inappropriate to their location by virtue of the existence of the plan of lots in which they are located and shall have special requirements for their reconstruction or expansion.
5. 
To avoid undue hardship, nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to require a change in plans, construction, or intended use of any building on which actual construction was lawfully begun prior to the effective date, or amendment, of this chapter and on which actual building construction has been diligently carried on.
1. 
Continuation. Lawful uses located either within a building or other structure, or part thereof, or on the land, or in combination of both, which, at the effective date of this chapter, or subsequent amendment thereto, become nonconforming, may be continued so long as they remain otherwise lawful, including subsequent sales of the property to other owners who continue the use.
2. 
Enlargement or expansion.
A. 
No such nonconforming use shall be enlarged or increased or extended to occupy greater lot area than was occupied at the effective date of adoption or amendment of this chapter, unless the Zoning Hearing Board shall interpret that the enlargement or extension is necessitated by the natural expansion and growth of trade of the nonconforming use.
B. 
No such nonconforming use shall be moved in whole or in part to any other portion of the lot occupied by such use at the effective date of adoption or amendment of this chapter.
C. 
No existing structure devoted to a use not permitted by this chapter in the zoning district in which it is located shall be enlarged, extended, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered except in changing the use of the structure to an authorized use in the zoning district in which it is located, unless the Zoning Hearing Board shall interpret that the enlargement, extension, construction, reconstruction or structural alteration is necessitated by the natural expansion and growth of trade of the nonconforming use.
D. 
Any nonconforming use may be extended throughout any part of a structure which was manifestly arranged or designed for such use at the time of adoption or amendment of this chapter, but no such use shall be extended to occupy any lot or portion of a lot outside such structure, except on a lot or portion of a lot owned at the time the use became nonconforming.
E. 
Any structure and lot in combination in or on which a nonconforming use is superseded by an authorized use shall thereafter conform to the regulations for the zoning district in which the structure is located and the nonconforming use may not thereafter be resumed.
3. 
Discontinuance. If a nonconforming use of a lot or structure ceases operations for a continuous period of more than six months, then this shall be deemed to be an intent to abandon such use and any subsequent use of the lot or structure shall conform to the regulations of the zoning district in which the lot is located.
A. 
Repairs or maintenance. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prevent the strengthening or restoring to a safe condition of any structure or part thereof declared to be unsafe by any public official charged with protecting the safety of the public.
B. 
Damage or destruction. Except for single-family dwellings located in any zoning district, other nonconforming uses located in any zoning district which are damaged or partially destroyed by fire, explosion, or any other cause, or are otherwise damaged to the extent of 50% or more of either their assessed valuation (as determined from the assessment rolls effective at the time of damage or destruction) or the bulk of all buildings, structures or other improvement on the lot, shall terminate and the lot shall thereafter be used only for conforming uses.
C. 
Single-family dwellings which are nonconforming uses in any zoning district shall be permitted to be reconstructed regardless of the amount of damage or destruction.
D. 
In any case, the remains of any building so destroyed, whether conforming or nonconforming, shall be removed from the premises within six calendar months from the date of damage or destruction unless a building permit is issued for the repair or reconstruction of the structure.
4. 
Change of use.
A. 
A nonconforming use shall not be changed to any use other than a conforming use, except as permitted by the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the following:
1) 
The new use will more closely correspond to the uses permitted in the district.
2) 
The changed use will be in keeping with the character of the neighborhood in which it is located.
3) 
The applicant clearly demonstrates a hardship in converting the use to a conforming use in accordance with the criteria of for obtaining a variance.
B. 
When a nonconforming use is changed to a conforming use, the use thereafter shall not be changed to a nonconforming use. Any change from one nonconforming use to another shall comply with the parking requirements for the use and shall be subject to the area, bulk and other applicable regulations for such use in the district where such use is authorized.
C. 
Where a nonconforming use exists on a lot, a conforming use shall not be established on the same lot unless the nonconforming use is discontinued.
These regulations shall apply to all nonconforming structures, as defined by this chapter, in all zoning districts.
1. 
Structural alteration. No such structure may be enlarged or structurally altered in a way which increases its nonconformity, except when the Zoning Hearing Board, after public hearing, may determine undue hardship and may authorize a reasonable modification of such structure.
2. 
Damage or destruction. Any nonconforming structure which has been partially or completely damaged or destroyed by fire or other means may be rebuilt or repaired on its existing foundation even though such foundation may violate the setback requirements for the Zoning District in which the structure is located, provided that the repair or reconstruction and reoccupancy of the structure occurs within 18 months of the date that the original structure was damaged or destroyed.
3. 
Moving. Should such structure be moved for any reason for any distance whatever, it shall thereafter conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located.
4. 
Repair or maintenance. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prevent the strengthening or restoring to a safe condition of any structure or part thereof declared to be unsafe by any official charged with protecting the safety of the public.
Signs in existence at the effective date of this chapter or amendments thereto, may be continued subject to the following regulations:
1. 
Moving. No nonconforming advertising sign, billboard, commercial advertising structure or statuary shall be moved to another position on the building or lot on which it is located after the effective date of this chapter or amendment thereto.
2. 
Structure alteration. A nonconforming sign on a nonconforming use may be continued, but the area of such sign or signs shall not be increased, and such sign or signs shall not be structurally altered.
3. 
Damage or destruction. In the event that any nonconforming advertising sign, billboard, commercial advertising structure or statuary is damaged to the extent of 25% of its cost of replacement at the time of destruction, such sign shall not be restored or replaced.
4. 
Discontinuance of signs. Whenever any use of building or structure or land or of a combination of buildings, structures and land ceases, all signs accessory to such use shall be deemed to become nonconforming and shall be removed within six calendar months.
Single-family dwellings authorized on nonconforming lots. In any district in which single-family dwellings are permitted notwithstanding the area limitations imposed by other provisions of this chapter, a single-family dwelling and customary accessory structures may be erected on any single lot previously laid out or recorded which is in existence at the effective date of adoption or amendment of this chapter which has frontage on a street which has been accepted by the Borough, provided that the following requirements are met:
1. 
Such lot must be in separate ownership and not form part of continuous frontage with other lots in the same ownership.
2. 
The dwelling shall be permitted even though the lot fails to meet requirements of the zoning district for lot area or lot width, or both, subject to:
3. 
The minimum setback shall be the recorded building line for the lot, or in the absence of a recorded building line, the setback shall be the setback which exists for 80% of all lots on the same side of the street and in the same block (between the intersection of the street on which the lot has frontage and the intersecting streets on either side of the lot) or the portion of the block in which the lot is located which is in the same recorded plan as is the lot.