Sullivan County, TN Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

The off-street loading standards in Article VII of the Sullivan County Zoning Resolution apply only within the unincorporated county; Kingsport, Bristol and Bluff City enforce their own municipal codes. 2 sets a sliding scale of required loading berths tied to a building's gross floor area, running from none for small retail and office uses up through four or more berths for larger warehousing, manufacturing and community-assembly buildings. 1, if a proposed use is not listed the Building Commissioner applies the requirement for the most similar listed use, and where a building holds several uses whose floor areas individually fall below the loading threshold but add up to more than the minimum, the whole building is treated as if it were devoted to whichever use demands the most berths.

Fractional space calculations round down below one-half and up at one-half or more. 3 sets the physical design: each berth must be at least 12 feet wide by 55 feet long with 15 feet of vertical clearance, rising to 65 feet in length for tractor-trailer service. Open loading areas must be paved in asphalt, concrete or another hard, dustless surface and graded for drainage. Loading docks cannot sit in the public right-of-way, cannot interfere with circulation through the adjoining parking lot, and the County can require a physical barrier separating a loading area from parking or pedestrian routes.

No loading space may block access for emergency vehicles. Required berths and their aisles are for vehicle loading only; the Resolution bars using them for sales, storage, display (including of automobiles), repair work or dismantling.