Hartford, CT Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Section 7.4.2 of the Hartford Zoning Regulations (Chapter 7.0, Parking) puts the loading duty on every use except those in the residential and lodging, open space, and civic and institutional categories, so stores, offices, workshops, and other commercial and industrial buildings carry it while apartments, hotels, parks, and schools do not. The count comes from Figure 7.4-A and is measured in gross floor area: no spaces up to 1,400 square feet; one space from 1,401 to 20,000 square feet; one space plus one more for every 20,000 square feet above 20,000, up to 100,000 square feet; 5 spaces plus one for every 40,000 square feet above 100,000, up to 500,000 square feet; and 15 spaces plus one for every 80,000 square feet beyond 500,000.

A 100,000 square foot building needs 5 spaces. Section 7.4.3 sets the arithmetic: a fraction of 0.5 or more rounds up to the next whole space, and a fraction under 0.5 can be rounded down. Section 7.4.4 fixes the size. A standard space is at least 10 feet wide and 26 feet long, an oversized space is at least 12 feet wide and 40 feet long, and both exclude aisle and maneuvering room and need 15 feet of vertical clearance. Section 7.4.5 applies the pavement construction standards of 7.3.1 H.

Section 7.4.1 adds the siting rules. Loading space cannot be counted toward the parking requirement, must sit on the same lot as the use it serves, and cannot block or project into a street, alley, access drive, or parking area. Its location follows the building type standards in section 4.0, and it needs clear access onto an alley or a driveway connected to an alley or street. Direct access to a public way other than an alley is prohibited. Each of these rules holds unless the Site Plan Review process under section 1.3.3 approves something different.

Neighboring lots can also pool their loading under 7.4.3 C, provided every lot served reaches the central area without crossing a street or alley and sits within 500 feet of it.