James City County, VA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard space size
- 10 ft x 50 ft, 15 ft clearance
- 5,001-30,000 sq ft building
- 1 loading space required
- 150,001-750,000 sq ft
- 5 spaces + 1 per 60,000 sq ft
- Over 750,000 sq ft
- 15 spaces + 1 per 120,000 sq ft
- Double-counting
- Cannot count as required parking
Summary
Commercial, industrial and institutional buildings in James City County must provide dedicated off-street loading space under Sec. 24-61, sized separately from required parking. Each loading space must measure ten feet by 50 feet with 15-foot vertical clearance, and the number required climbs on a sliding scale tied to a building's gross floor area.
On the same premises with every building, structure or part thereof erected and occupied for manufacturing, storage, warehouse, goods display, department store, wholesale store, market, hotel, hospital, mortuary, laundry, dry cleaning or other uses similarly involving the receipt or distribution of vehicles, materials or merchandise, there shall be provided and maintained on the lot adequate space for standing, turning, loading and unloading services. ... (1)Be an area ten feet by 50 feet, with 15-foot height clearance; and(2)Be provided according to the following schedule: ... Gross Floor Area in Square Feet Loading and Unloading Spaces Required in terms of square feet of gross floor area (GFA) 5,001 to 30,000 1 space 30,001 to 150,000 1 space plus 1 space for each 30,000 square feet
Full Breakdown
Sec. 24-61 requires any building used for manufacturing, storage, warehousing, goods display, department or wholesale store operations, markets, hotels, hospitals, mortuaries, or laundry and dry cleaning, along with any other use that similarly receives or distributes vehicles, materials or merchandise, to provide and maintain adequate on-site space for standing, turning, loading and unloading. That space can never double as required parking, and it cannot be positioned so a vehicle using it projects into a public or private street, alley, or the driving aisle needed for circulation within a parking lot.
Each loading and unloading space must measure ten feet by 50 feet with 15 feet of vertical clearance. The number of spaces required rises with the building's gross floor area: one space for buildings between 5,001 and 30,000 square feet; one space plus one more for every additional 30,000 square feet between 30,001 and 150,000 square feet; five spaces plus one more per 60,000 square feet above 150,000 square feet, up to 750,000; and 15 spaces plus one per 120,000 square feet beyond that for the largest buildings.
Smaller buildings between 2,000 and 5,000 square feet get a reduced standard: one loading and unloading space measuring ten feet by 30 feet, still with 15-foot height clearance. The loading standard applies on top of, not in place of, the county's separate off-street parking requirements elsewhere in article II, division 2.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide the loading space required for a building's gross floor area, or repurposing required loading space as parking or as a driving aisle, violates Sec. 24-61 and can hold up a certificate of occupancy. Because loading space is a chapter 24 zoning requirement, an owner who ignores it after occupancy is subject to Sec. 24-22's misdemeanor penalty of $10 to $1,000, with separate 30-day violations charged again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big must a loading space be in James City County?
How many loading spaces does my building need?
Can I count my loading space toward my required parking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in James City County
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