Upper Delaware Avenue Ass'n of Delmar, Inc. v. Fritts

In 1932, Alphonse and Bertha Verstandig purchased property located at 454 Delaware Avenue in the Town of Bethlehem, Albany County. The Verstandigs immediately commenced a horticultural business on the property. Eventually, they constructed greenhouses and acquired more property so that they owned five acres of land. In 1944, the Town of Bethlehem adopted a zoning ordinance which classified the property as "residential A and AA”, zones in which the florist business was not allowed. The business operated by the Verstandigs was allowed to continue to operate as a prior nonconforming use. In…