Zoning Ordinance, Section 4: Nonconforming Uses
§ 4.01 Intent
The text in force today, and every version since 2010.
Unofficial compilation built from the City's published 2010 Code chapters and the text of adopted ordinances. Effective dates are inferred from adoption records; scanned chapters were OCR'd. The City of Tiffin's adopted Code of Ordinances governs. Not legal advice.
4.01 INTENT
A. If within the districts established by this Ordinance there exist lots, structures, and use of land and structures that were lawful before this Ordinance was passed or amended, but which would be prohibited, regulated, or restricted under the terms of this Ordinance or amendments, it is the intent of this Ordinance to permit these non-conformities to continue until they are removed, but not to encourage their survival. Such uses are declared by this Ordinance to be incompatible with permitted uses in the districts involved.
B. This Ordinance intends that non-conformities must not be enlarged upon, expanded, or extended. Non-conforming uses may not serve as grounds for adding other structures, signs, or uses prohibited elsewhere in the same district.
History
Dates: an Iowa ordinance takes effect when it is published after adoption. Where the clerk's certificate records the publication date it is used; otherwise the adoption date stands in for it. "Not yet consolidated" means the ordinance amends this section but its new text has not been checked into this compilation yet: read the ordinance.
Data last updated October 15, 2026. Built from the archive's documents; see how the data is built.