New Bedford, MA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 3145 sets the City's front-yard parking rule for residential districts: open-air off-street parking may generally sit in front, rear or side yards, but in a residential district no open-air parking space may be located in front of the dwelling or principal building. There is one carve-out. If a garage faces the street and sits beneath the dwelling, parking may occupy the front yard provided the dwelling is set back at least 20 feet from the front property line and the parking stays within a driveway no wider than the garage itself, capped at 18 feet. Any residential driveway needing more than one curb cut triggers Site Plan Approval, and no residential driveway may exceed 18 feet in width regardless of the garage exception.

Section 3147 then governs surface material for every parking space, loading area and access drive built in the open air: it must be concrete or asphalt. Compacted gravel or stone is allowed only for single- or two-family residential dwellings, meaning multifamily, commercial and institutional lots cannot use an unpaved surface for required parking. A property owner seeking a different surface for a site-plan-reviewed development must get the Planning Board to find the alternate material suitable for the property's character and to confirm it is graded and stabilized against dust, erosion, odor and stormwater problems, with the parking area's perimeter defined by brick, stone, railroad ties, or similar edging and curbing placed to keep vehicles out of required setbacks.

Together, these sections mean a New Bedford homeowner cannot simply pave over the front lawn for extra parking, and a gravel driveway that would otherwise be inspection-ready must still stay within the 18-foot width cap and other layout rules under Section 3140.