Porter County, IN Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Berth count
- Set by gross floor area schedule
- Placement
- Least conspicuous facade of building
- Screening wall
- Minimum 6 feet tall, matching materials
- Right-of-way rule
- No vehicle may project into it
- Waiver authority
- Executive Director or DAC
Summary
Commercial and industrial buildings in Porter County must provide loading berths sized to gross floor area under the UDO's loading standards, with berths tucked onto the least visible facade, paved, and screened behind a six-foot wall. The Executive Director or Development Advisory Committee can reduce or waive berths where they clearly aren't needed.
A. Loading Berths Required: Commercial and industrial uses that receive or transport goods in quantity by truck delivery, may be required to provide loading berths as shown below. In situations where the uses clearly do not need and will not in the foreseeable future need loading berths, the Executive Director or the DAC may reduce the number required or eliminate the requirement. ... C. Screening: Loading berths shall be effectively screened by solid building walls, constructed of similar building materials as the primary structure and may not be less than six (6) feet in height.
Full Breakdown
Porter County's Unified Development Ordinance, in effect since June 15, 2007, makes loading berths mandatory for certain commercial and industrial buildings. 29 LD-01(A) states that 'commercial and industrial uses that receive or transport goods in quantity by truck delivery, may be required to provide loading berths' according to a gross-floor-area schedule set out in the same section, with retail, office, and industrial uses each carrying a different starting square footage and berth count. Where a use 'clearly do[es] not need and will not in the foreseeable future need loading berths,' the Executive Director or the county's Development Advisory Committee can reduce the required number or eliminate it entirely.
Design standards apply to whatever berths a project builds. 29 LD-01(B), loading berths 'shall be located on the least conspicuous facade of the structure,' must be paved with asphalt or concrete, and cannot allow any part of a delivery vehicle to project into a street or alley right-of-way while loading. 29 LD-01(C) requires berths to be 'effectively screened by solid building walls, constructed of similar building materials as the primary structure and may not be less than six (6) feet in height,' so a loading dock can't sit exposed to a public street or an adjoining residential lot. 29 LD-01(D) also requires berths to be constructed to allow proper drainage, so delivery areas don't pond water or wash runoff onto neighboring pavement.
Violations & Fines
Building a commercial or industrial project without the required loading berths, or with berths that aren't paved, screened to the six-foot wall standard, or kept clear of the right-of-way, is a Unified Development Ordinance violation under Chapter 11. The Plan Commission can withhold a Certificate of Occupancy, and a court-imposed fine under §11.09 runs $50 to $2,500 per day of noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every commercial building in Porter County need a loading dock?
Where can a loading berth be placed on the property?
Do loading areas have to be screened from view?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Porter County
Compare Porter County to another location·View the Indiana parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.