1760 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 992

include "restrict77, "restrictions", "limit"; "limitations", "pro-
hibit" and "prohibitions".

T. There are hereby created and established two boards of
zoning appeals—one for Montgomery County and one for
Prince George's County. Each Board of Zoning Appeals shall
consist of three (3) members, who shall be residents of that por-
tion of the District within their respective counties and who
shall be appointed by the respective Boards of County Com-
missioners, as soon as may be convenient after the effective
date of this Act. The terms of members shall be four years
each.

Any member appointed for a vacancy shall serve for the un-
expired term. All meetings of the Boards of Zoning Appeals
shall be public and they shall organize annually and elect a
chairman and vice-chairman. They shall act by resolution in
which two members must concur. The compensation of mem-
bers shall be as fixed by the respective Boards of County Com-
missioners of said two counties, and said County Commission-
ers may provide said Boards of Zoning Appeals with such
executive and clerical assistance as may be deemed necessary.
A District Council may provide and specify in its zoning regu-
lations general rules to govern the organization and procedure
of the Board of Zoning Appeals of its county, which rules
shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this Act; and
the Board of Zoning Appeals may adopt, from time to time^
supplemental rules of procedure not inconsistent with this Act
or such general rules. A board of appeals or the chairman or
other officer thereof may administer oaths and compel the at-
tendance of witnesses. The boards shall keep minutes of their
proceedings respectively.

U. A District Council may at its discretion provide, to such
degree and upon such terms and conditions as may be set forth
in its zoning regulations, for the grant of power to the Board
of Zoning Appeals, upon appeals, to permit an extension of a
lawful non-conforming use throughout a part or whole
of a building in which such non-conforming use lawfully
exists or the restoration or reconstruction of an existing
lawful non-conforming use where through fire or other calam-
ity such use has been destroyed to the extent of not more than
75% of the reconstruction value of the building in which such
lawful non-conforming use was carried on or an extension of
an existing lawful non-conforming use on the same lot as such
lot existed as a single lot under single ownership at the time
of the enactment of the regulation which made the then exist-
ing use on such lot non-conforming. Nothing in this section
shall be held to authorize the validation, ratification, or legali-
zation of any violation of law or regulation existing at the time
of the action by the District Council under this section.