Any dwelling occupied by owner or operator in which rooms are rented for guests, for lodging of transients and travelers for compensation, and where food may be served. These districts are established as districts in which the principal use of land is for single family dwellings. To prohibit commercial and industrial use of the land . . . . In General Upon the effective date of this Ordinance and any amendment hereto existing and lawful uses of any building or land which at that time do not meet the minimum requirements of this Ordinance for the District in which the same are located . . . Non-Conforming Uses of Buildings . . . .
Questions involving interpretation of zoning ordinances are questions of law.
113 N.C. App. Accordingly, the superior court is to apply a de novo standard of review to Board decisions involving application and interpretation of zoning ordinances, and the court may freely substitute its judgment for that of the Board. In construing municipal ordinances, courts are obligated to adhere to the fundamental principles of statutory construction and interpretation. The foregoing comports in all respects with petitioners' proposed use of the property as a bed and breakfast. Petitioners also challenge the trial court's rejection of their argument that the Board's decision was arbitrary and capricious.