Haverhill, MA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Retail, wholesale, transportation, business and community-facility buildings in Haverhill must set aside off-street loading space sized to City Code § 6.1.6's Off-Street Loading Space Design standard: the first required space needs at least 12 feet of width, 35 feet of length and a 14-foot vertical clearance, and every additional required space must be at least 12 feet wide, 55 feet long and still carry that 14-foot clearance. How many spaces a given building needs is set by a separate table keyed to the building's gross floor area and use, referenced in § 6.1.5.

Loading also reaches the public way: § 222-44, in the Streets and Sidewalks chapter, bars anyone from placing merchandise, materials or a parked vehicle on a sidewalk, street or highway to display goods without a City Council permit, but carves out an exception for the reasonable and expeditious loading or unloading of goods, provided the property is never left so as to block pedestrians or traffic. Existing loading spaces are protected too: § 6.1.7 says spaces maintained in connection with an existing use on the ordinance's effective date can't be reduced below the table's requirement so long as that use continues.

Any of these standards can be waived only by special permit from the SPGA under § 6.1.15, or by the Zoning Board of Appeals where no special permit already governs the use.