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r <br /> 2 036 <br /> 5 . WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE VARIOUS BOARDS AND COUNCILS AND <br /> THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN ZONING? <br /> The TACs (Township Advisory Councils ) play an advisory <br /> role to the Planning Board, primarily on issues affecting <br /> that township . The Planning Board plays an advisory role to <br /> the Board of County Commissioners, as well , including review <br /> of rezoning requests and ordinance amendments . The Planning <br /> Department can make decisions on home occupations and zoning <br /> permits . The department' s role in requests for rezoning and <br /> Class "A" Special Use Permits is advisory only . Final <br /> decision making powers on those issues lies with the Board of <br /> County Commissioners . The Board of Adjustment is the final <br /> decision making body on dimensional variances , appeals of the <br /> decision of the Zoning Officer, and Class "B" Special Use <br /> Permits . <br /> 6 . WHAT HAPPENS TO EXISTING USES WHEN A TOWNSHIP IS ZONED? <br /> Existing uses are generally "grandfathered" in . Depend- <br /> ing on the use and location commercial uses receive either a <br /> Neighborhood Commercial (NC-2) , Local Commercial (LC-1 ) , or <br /> Existing Commercial (EC-5 ) designation . <br /> 7 . ARE ALL COMMERCIAL USES RESTRICTED TO ACTIVITY NODES ? <br /> Yes, except for existing commercial uses which receive <br /> an EC designation and those allowed in an Agricultural <br /> Services (AS ) district. EC uses are simply those that <br /> existed prior to zoning and commercial uses allowed in an AS <br /> district are those that support the horticultural , sylvi - <br /> cultural , and agricultural uses of an AR district, such as <br /> farm equipment dealers, and crop storage and processing <br /> sites . <br /> 8 . WHAT IS A NON-CONFORMING USE? <br /> A non-conforming use is a use that is not permitted in <br /> the zoning district in which it is located. An example would <br /> be a sawmill in a residential area. A non-conforming use may <br /> continue to operate but is not allowed to expand. <br /> 9 . WHAT IS A NON-CONFORMING SITUATION? <br /> It is a situation where the use is permitted in the <br /> zoning district, but some other aspect of the Zoning <br /> Ordinance is violated. The most common situation would <br /> probably be violation of setbacks. For example, Rural <br /> Residential (R-1 ) and Agricultural Residential (AR ) zoning <br />