Santa Cruz County, CA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

578, repealed by the same ordinance) and now governs loading facilities countywide outside the incorporated cities of Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Capitola, and Scotts Valley. The ratio is one loading space for every 5,000 square feet of floor area for qualifying retail, wholesale, warehousing, and industrial uses. Mortuaries face a separate rule: one berth sized for hearses is required regardless of floor area, plus an additional berth for each 5,000 square feet beyond the first 5,000. Standard berths must be at least 45 feet long and 12 feet wide with 14 feet of overhead clearance; hearse-only berths at mortuaries may be smaller, 24 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 8 feet of clearance.

Every berth must be reachable directly from a street or alley, provide room to turn and maneuver, and sit on pavement built to at least two inches of asphalt concrete over five inches of Class II base rock so the surface stays dustless and drains properly. Loading areas cannot sit in a required front, side, or rear yard, and any lighting must be shielded from glare onto neighboring residential parcels. No vehicle repair or servicing is permitted in a loading area, and the area must stay free of trash, debris, and advertising displays.

A property owner cannot change the number of loading spaces shown on an approved parking plan without formally amending the development permit through the Planning Department. Businesses can also satisfy the requirement by permanently allocating loading berths on an adjoining site, but only through a recorded easement that specifies hours of operation and cannot be terminated without a permit amendment eliminating or replacing the loading requirement.