Fort Smith, AR Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide rule
- Off-street loading space required
- Downtown exception
- No off-street loading required
- Downtown control
- Police chief must approve activity
- Sizing
- Set by Table 27-601-2
Summary
Fort Smith exempts the commercial downtown zoning district from off-street loading space requirements, but the police chief must approve any loading or unloading activity there.
Off-street loading requirements shall not be required within any commercial downtown zoning district. However, the chief of police must approve any loading or unloading activity in any commercial downtown zoned area.E.Violations. Violations to this section will be subject to the enforcement procedures and penalties listed in these regulations.27-601-5Parking; purpose and intent. This section is designed to provide adequate parking and maneuvering facilities for all land uses in the city. The standards and procedures of this section are intended to ensure that each land use will have facilities that are functionally adequate for its purpose.27-601-6Off-street parking requirements.A.Permanent off-street parking in the amount specified in this section for any land use shall be provided when any new building is constructed or when any existing principal building is expanded.B.In addition, permanent off-street parking shall be required when property is changed from one land use to another or when a building is changed from one type of occupancy to another. Occupancy for this purpose is defined in the city's building code. (Ord. No. 105-22, § 1, 11-1-2022)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 27-601-4 requires off-street loading space at new or expanded industrial, commercial, retail, wholesale, office, and civic buildings, sized by gross floor area under Table 27-601-2 (subsections A-B). Loading areas must let vehicles maneuver entirely on-site, protected by a six-foot fence or barrier where they abut a right-of-way. Subsection D carves out the commercial downtown zoning district: off-street loading isn't required there, but the police chief must approve any loading or unloading activity that happens in that district. The code sets no specific loading hours; enforcement runs through the general violation and penalty procedures in the UDO.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or expanding a covered building outside downtown without meeting the loading-space table violates § 27-601-4(A)-(B); loading or unloading in the downtown district without police-chief approval violates § 27-601-4(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fort Smith require off-street loading docks for commercial buildings?
What about loading in downtown Fort Smith?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Smith
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