Loading and unloading facilities shall be provided prior to occupancy of a non-residential building hereafter erected, altered, or to be occupied by a new user, and shall be maintained while the building is occupied, unless equivalent facilities are provided as provided by the regulations of this Chapter.
(a) Authority of the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission may waive the requirement for a loading and unloading facility based on the nature of the proposed use or the practical difficulties of adding such facilities to an existing building.
(b) When Required. In any district, in connection with every building or part thereof hereafter erected and having a gross floor area of 10,000 square feet or more, which is to be occupied by manufacturing, storage, warehouse, goods display, retail store, wholesale store, market, hospital, mortuary, laundry, dry cleaning or other uses similarly requiring the receipt or distribution by vehicles of materials or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained, on the same lot with such building, at least one off-street loading space plus one additional loading space for each 20,000 square feet or major fraction thereof of gross floor area so used in excess of 20,000 square feet. Where the floor area of the building exceeds 100,000 square feet, the total number of off-street loading spaces shall be determined by the Planning Commission.
(c) Maintenance. The facilities shall be maintained as long as such building is occupied and shall continue unobstructed and not be used for repair or servicing of motor vehicles. Space required and allocated for off-street parking shall not be allocated or used to satisfy the space requirements for off-street loading.
(d) Location. All required loading spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use served and arranged so that a public street or sidewalk will not be occupied during the loading or unloading process. Such spaces may be open or enclosed. They shall be located in conformance with the standards in the applicable zoning district.
(e) Access. Each required off-street loading space shall be designed for direct access to a street or alley in a manner so as to cause the least possible interference with traffic movements on the street. All open off-street loading spaces and driveways shall be provided with surface improvements as required for parking areas.
(f) Dimensions. A required off-street loading space shall be at least twelve (12) feet wide by at least twenty-five (25) feet in length for buildings less than 20,000 square feet of gross floor area and each required loading space for a building of 20,000 square feet or more of floor area shall be not less than twelve (12) feet wide by fifty (50) feet in length. Each space shall have a vertical clearance of at least fourteen (14) feet. The above areas shall be exclusive of aisle and maneuvering space.
(g) Exceptions. Uses for which off-street loading facilities are otherwise required but which are located in buildings of less than 5,000 square feet of gross floor area shall be provided with a receiving platform or facilities adjacent to a service drive or other open space on the same lot.
(Ord. 2023-029. Passed 4-18-23.)