After a zoning change, a nonconforming use may continue to operate but cannot be expanded.

• A. The use may continue to operate but cannot be expanded
• B. The use may not be expanded and can be removed
• C. The use is automatically licensed
• D. The use may continue to operate but must be discontinued within a year

Answer: (A)

When a zoning change creates a nonconforming use, the use can keep operating as it existed before the change, but it cannot be expanded. The rule protects the property owner’s existing investment while encouraging the gradual alignment of land use with the new zoning district. Expanding a nonconforming use—adding more building space, increasing the number of units or customers, or intensifying the activity—would worsen the mismatch with the new zoning, which is why growth is typically prohibited while the use is nonconforming. Routine maintenance that doesn’t make the use larger or more intensive is usually allowed.

For example, if a shop operated under a nonconforming use before the zoning change, it may continue as it was, but you couldn’t add more storefront space or increase the number of employees beyond what existed when the change occurred. It’s not automatically licensed or guaranteed to continue in perpetuity, and there isn’t a general rule that it must be discontinued within a year.