Medford, MA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 94-6.1.4, item 11 of the Medford zoning ordinance imposes additional requirements on driveways in residential districts, on top of the general off-street parking standards in section 94-6.1. A new driveway cannot be built without a permit from the city engineer. The driveway surface must use paving stones, grass pavers, pervious concrete, or porous asphalt, a permeable-materials requirement meant to control stormwater runoff, unless the driveway is graded to direct runoff onto on-site permeable areas instead, or the city engineer grants a waiver to mitigate adverse site conditions.

The ordinance separately encourages, but does not mandate, ribbon driveways: two paved tracks at least two feet wide, spaced five feet apart on center, with an unpaved strip at least three feet wide between them, which reduces the impervious footprint of the driveway. These driveway rules sit within the parking chapter's broader scheme: elsewhere, section 94-6.1.4 bars any parking in the front yard of SF-1, SF-2, and GR residential districts, and caps total off-street residential parking spaces at 200 percent of the minimum requirement, counting both covered and uncovered spaces.

The city engineer reviews and issues driveway permits, while the building commissioner administers the parking chapter generally as part of any building or occupancy permit application.