Union County, NC Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Office/hospital minimum
- 1 space per 25,000-100,000 sq ft, up to 3
- Industrial/retail minimum
- 1 space per 15,000-50,000 sq ft, up to 4
- Space size
- 10 ft x 30 ft, 14 ft vertical clearance
- Semi-trailer size
- 12 ft x 55 ft loading space
- Screening
- S2 screen required within 50 ft of R district
Summary
Commercial and industrial buildings in unincorporated Union County must provide off-street loading spaces sized to the building's floor area, not just parking. Section 45.120 of the Unified Development Ordinance sets minimum loading-space counts by square footage and requires each space to be at least 10 feet wide and 30 feet long, or 12 by 55 feet for semi-tractor trailers.
Minimum Requirements Whenever the normal operation of any use involves regular delivery or shipment to or from the subject use, off-street loading area must be provided in accordance with this section to accommodate the delivery or shipment operations in a safe and convenient manner. ... Table 45-5: Loading Requirements for Office, Lodging and Hospital Uses Gross Floor Area [1] (sq. ft.) Minimum Loading Spaces Required 0–25,000 0 25,001–100,000 1 100,001–250,000 2 250,001 or more 3 ... Size Required off-street loading spaces must be at least 10 feet in width and 30 feet in length, exclusive of drive aisles. Spaces must have a minimum vertical clearance of at least 14 feet. When delivery or shipment regularly occurs by semi-tractor trailers, the loading space must be at least 12 feet in width and 55 feet in length.
Full Breakdown
120 requires any use in unincorporated Union County that involves regular delivery or shipment to provide off-street loading space sized to its building. For office, lodging and hospital uses, Table 45-5 sets the minimum count: no loading space is required below 25,000 square feet of gross floor area, one space from 25,001 to 100,000 square feet, two from 100,001 to 250,000 square feet, and three above that. Industrial, retail, wholesale, distribution and storage uses follow the steeper schedule of Table 45-6, needing one space once floor area passes 15,000 square feet, two past 50,000, three past 100,000 and four above 250,000 square feet.
Every required space must measure at least 10 feet wide and 30 feet long with 14 feet of vertical clearance, rising to 12 feet wide and 55 feet long where semi-tractor trailers regularly load. Loading areas must sit on the same lot as the use they serve, must let trucks maneuver to and from the public right-of-way without blocking it or a parking aisle, and an unenclosed loading area within 50 feet of a residentially zoned property needs S2-level screening on every side that abuts the R-zoned parcel. 060 that the permit-issuing authority weighs against traffic and neighborhood impacts before approving a reduced ratio.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the loading spaces Table 45-5 or 45-6 requires, or running an unscreened loading area within 50 feet of a residential district, violates Section 45.120 and triggers Article 95 enforcement: a 10-day warning citation, then $50, $200 and $500 fines for repeat citations, and a misdemeanor fine of up to $500 or 30 days under NCGS 14-4 for a use that stays noncompliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many loading spaces does a retail building need in unincorporated Union County?
How big does a required loading space have to be?
Can a business get fewer loading spaces than the table requires?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Union County
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