Grays Harbor County, WA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum loading space width
- 10 feet
- Minimum loading space length
- 25 feet
- Covered clearance height
- 15 feet minimum
- Access required
- alley or street
- Applies to
- commercial, industrial, hotel, public uses
- Layout plan approval
- required before permit (§17.68.090)
Summary
Grays Harbor County Code § 17.68.100 requires every lot in a commercial or industrial district, plus every lot with a hotel or public or semi-public use, to provide an on-site loading and unloading space at least 10 feet wide and 25 feet long, with 15 feet of clearance if covered, and access to an alley or a street.
On every lot in a commercial or industrial district, and on every lot in any district on which is conducted any hotel, public or semi-public use, there shall be provided space, either inside or outside a building, for the loading and unloading of goods and materials. Such space shall be not less than ten feet in width, twenty five feet in length or less than fifteen feet in height when covered. Such space shall be provided with access to an alley, or a street.
Full Breakdown
Section 17.68.100 applies broadly: it reaches every commercial or industrial lot and also any other lot, in any district, where a hotel or a public or semi-public use is conducted. The loading space can sit inside or outside a building, but it must be at least 10 feet wide and 25 feet long, and if the space is covered, it must clear at least 15 feet in height. The space must connect to an alley or a street, not solely to a private drive. This loading standard sits inside Chapter 17.68, 'Off-Street Parking and Loading,' alongside the county's general parking rules.
Section 17.68.010 requires on-site parking and storage space to be reserved and improved whenever a building is erected, enlarged, expanded in height or coverage, or changed in use. Section 17.68.080 adds that any facility of five or more vehicles, other than single-family and two-family dwellings and short-term rentals, must be paved, graded and drained to the county engineer's satisfaction, lit so light does not spill onto adjoining residential property, and marked with individual spaces so no maneuvering occurs on a public road. Before a permit issues for any commercial, industrial, public or semi-public building or use, § 17.68.090 requires a layout plan, approved by the planning director, showing the building and the dimensions and number of parking and loading spaces. The planning director administers these permits under § 17.76.050, which bars any building permit that does not conform to Title 17.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide the required loading space, or blocking access to it, is a Title 17 zoning violation: a civil penalty up to $1,000 per day under § 17.96.010, a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail under § 17.96.020, and nuisance abatement under Chapter 8.40 per § 17.96.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big must a commercial loading space be in unincorporated Grays Harbor County?
Does the loading-space rule apply to hotels?
Do I need county approval before laying out my parking and loading area?
What if my loading area serves fewer than five vehicles?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grays Harbor County
Compare Grays Harbor County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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