Baytown, TX Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Sec. 36 of the ULDC governs off-street loading for any nonresidential or mixed-use building that is erected or substantially altered in the MUN, GC, FC, LI, and HI zoning districts. 36-1 sets the minimum number of required loading spaces by gross floor area and use grouping: industrial buildings under 5,000 square feet need none, 5,001-25,000 square feet needs one space, and buildings over 150,001 square feet need four spaces plus one per additional 100,000 square feet. Commercial, office, and institutional buildings follow a separate table, needing one space once they exceed 10,000 square feet.

Placement is tightly restricted under Sec. 1: loading spaces cannot face an adjacent residential district or use, cannot sit in a front or street-side setback, cannot encroach the minimum side or rear setback, and cannot be located within 40 feet of a street intersection, with the loading dock kept out of view from any thoroughfare or collector right-of-way. 36-2 sets minimum dimensions by truck type, up to 12 feet wide and 80 feet deep with 15 feet of vertical clearance for tractor-trailers. Sec. 4 adds short-term truck parking spaces tied to the federal Hours of Service rule in 49 CFR Part 395, so trucks may be parked on site before or after a scheduled pickup or delivery.

Loading areas must be paved with a hard, all-weather dustless surface, and Sec. b bars any maneuvering that requires a commercial vehicle to back into a public street or alley. Where a loading dock sits between a principal building and a residential property, Sec. 7 requires either a roofed or walled enclosure tall enough to screen the delivery vehicle, or an upgraded bufferyard plus an eight-foot masonry wall matching the building's exterior finish. Lighting and noise from loading areas must comply with the ULDC's outdoor lighting division and the noise limits in Article VII of the Code of Ordinances.