On the same premises with every building or structure, or part thereof, involving the receipt or distribution of vehicles, materials or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained on the lot adequate space for the standing, loading and unloading of vehicles in order to avoid undue interference with the public use of dedicated rights of way. All spaces shall be provided, where required in Section 1298.01, as follows:
(a) Within the RO District, loading space shall be provided in the rear yard or, in the case of a double frontage lot, in the interior side yard, at a ratio of five square feet per front foot of building up to a total area of 360 square feet per building. However, if the use located within the RO District does not sell or distribute merchandise or materials, no loading/ unloading space will be required.
(b) Within the Commercial Districts, loading and unloading space shall be provided in the rear yard at a ratio of ten square feet for each front foot of building. In the case of a double frontage lot, loading, unloading and trash receptacles may be located in an interior side yard beyond the minimum side yard set-back requirement of the District. The location of such facilities in a permitted side yard shall be subject to review and approval by the City. The City, in making its review, shall find that any such use shall:
(1) Not have a disruptive effect on the safe and efficient flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic within the site;
(2) Be aesthetically and effectively screened from view from adjoining properties and from a street, in a manner acceptable to the City.
The City, to aid its review, may require the submission of building elevations and cross-section plans showing grade elevations with respect to the location of loading, unloading and trash receptacles, the corresponding elevations of adjoining property and streets and the means by which these facilities will be effectively screened from view.
(c) Within Industrial Districts, all loading and unloading operations shall be conducted in the rear yard. In those instances where an interior side yard is located adjacent to an Industrial District, loading and unloading may be conducted in that interior side yard when located near the rear of the building. When loading and unloading are to be conducted within an interior side yard, the City may require aesthetic screening of the facility in accordance with Section 1298.13.
All loading and unloading spaces in Industrial Districts shall be laid out in the dimension of at least ten feet by fifty feet, or 500 square feet in area, with a clearance of at least fourteen feet in height. Loading dock approaches shall be provided with a pavement having an asphaltic or Portland concrete binder so as to provide a permanent, durable and dustless surface. All loading and unloading spaces in Industrial Districts shall be provided in the following ratio of spaces to floor area:
Gross Floor Area (square feet) Space Required
0 - 1,400 None
1,401 - 20,000 One space
20,001 - 100,000 One space, plus one space for each 20,000 square feet in excess of 20,001 square feet
100,001 and over Five spaces
(d) The area required for loading, unloading and trash receptacles shall be computed separately from the off-street parking requirements and shall be laid out in such a way that when in use it shall not cut off or diminish access to off-street parking spaces or service drives.
(Ord. 458. Passed 1-4-89; Ord. 850. Passed 5-16-07.)