Land Use & Zoning
A nonconforming use in Rhode Island zoning law refers to:
AA use that was legal when it began but no longer complies with current zoning✓ Correct
BA use that has never been permitted in the zone
CA commercial use in any residential district
DA use that has been abandoned for more than 1 year
Explanation
A nonconforming use is a use that was lawfully established before a zoning change but no longer complies with current zoning regulations. Rhode Island law generally allows such uses to continue but restricts expansion or rebuilding after substantial damage.
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Key Terms to Know
Zoning
Local government regulations that control land use by dividing areas into zones specifying permitted uses, building sizes, and densities.
VarianceOfficial permission to use land in a way that does not conform to the applicable zoning ordinance, granted by a zoning board when strict enforcement would cause undue hardship.
Eminent DomainThe power of government to take private property for public use, with the requirement to pay the owner just compensation.
Adverse PossessionA doctrine by which a person can gain legal title to another's land by openly, continuously, and adversely occupying it for a statutory period.
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