Loading and unloading facilities shall be provided prior to occupancy of every non-residential building hereafter erected, altered, or to be occupied by a new user, and shall be maintained as long as such building is occupied or unless equivalent facilities are provided in conformance with the regulations of this chapter.
(a) Authority of the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission may waive loading/unloading requirements based on the character of the proposed use or the impracticality of adding loading/unloading facilities to existing buildings.
(b) Location. All loading spaces shall be located on the same lot as the use served, in a manner that enables the orderly and safe movement of trucks and no part of any required setback, off-street parking area, nor access drive thereto, shall be used for loading or unloading purposes, except that the Planning Commission may allow two or more uses to cooperatively provide off-street loading/unloading spaces, subject to the assurance of permanent availability. No such space shall be located closer than fifteen (15) feet to any other lot in any Residential District, unless wholly within a completely enclosed building or unless enclosed on all sides facing lots in any Residential District by a wall or fence not less than six (6) feet in height.
(c) Size of Loading Spaces. Each loading space shall be ample to accommodate the largest vehicle anticipated.
(d) Off-street loading spaces shall not be used for repair or servicing of motor vehicles.
(e) Access Driveways. Each required off-street loading/unloading space shall be designed for direct vehicular access by means of a driveway, or driveways, to a public or private street in such a manner that will least interfere with traffic movements and lane encroachment, provided, however, that loading/unloading shall not be from the public right-of-way except in situations of existing commercial facilities in the Central Business Mixed Use District (CBD) where no other opportunity for loading/unloading exists.
(f) Minimum Loading Spaces Required. For non-residential buildings, one (1) off-street loading space shall be provided for a building not exceeding twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of floor area, and one (1) additional space for each forty thousand (40,000) square feet of additional floor area