Methuen, MA Parking Rules: Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (2026)

Section 5.11 of the Methuen Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Parking of business vehicles, sets the limit for work trucks and vans at home. The parking of not more than one business vehicle for each dwelling unit on the lot is permitted in all residential districts. The count runs per dwelling unit, so a lot with two dwelling units can host two business vehicles, one tied to each unit, and a single-family lot can host one.

Three conditions apply to every vehicle. First, it does not exceed a gross vehicle weight of one-ton capacity, measured by the manufacturer's rating. A heavier truck, such as a dump truck or tractor, falls outside the permission. Second, the vehicle is used as a means of transportation to and from the resident's place of business, so a vehicle parked at home for storage of a business, or driven by someone who does not live there, does not meet the test. Third, it is not loaded with flammable, noxious, dangerous or unsightly materials, which keeps fuel loads, chemicals and visible debris off residential streets in the City of Methuen.

The section is a permission with limits, and the ordinance tells the reader what is allowed rather than listing banned vehicle types. Under § 5.1, any use not listed in Article V is prohibited, and § 5.2 states there shall be no use variances. Home businesses are handled separately in § 5.6, which requires off-street parking for employees, clients or pupils under Article VIII, and limits home occupation space to 25% of the existing gross floor area of the dwelling unit, not to exceed 700 square feet.