Medford, MA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted loading window
- 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Sound ceiling
- 10 dBA above ambient at boundary
- Ceiling standard cited
- 310 CMR 7.10
- Enforcing agency
- Board of Health
- Covers
- site-plan/special-permit developments only
Summary
Medford's noise performance standards let the Community Development Board restrict loading, unloading, and container handling at nonresidential or multi-unit developments between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Section 94-6.4.5 also sets a citywide 10 dBA-above-ambient sound ceiling at the property line, administered by the Board of Health, for the same class of special permit and site plan projects.
94-6.4.5 Noise Standards. The proposed development shall not unreasonably interfere with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property within the city as a result of the generation of noise. ... 2.Hours of operation. As a condition of any special permit or site plan approval, the SPGA or community development board may prohibit or regulate the following circumstances regarding hours of operation.a.The loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans, or other objects or materials for sale or storage or use in a manner that causes a condition of noise pollution at any time but most specifically between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. across a real property boundary in any district established under this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 94-6.4.5 item 1 bars any source of sound that creates a level of 10 dBA above ambient, measured at the property boundary of the receiving land use and set by reference to 310 CMR 7.10, with the Board of Health administering that limit. Item 2 lets the SPGA or Community Development Board condition a special permit or site plan approval on hours of operation, and item 2a specifically targets the loading, unloading, opening, closing, or handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, or garbage cans in a way that causes noise pollution, flagging the window between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. as the period of greatest concern across a real property boundary.
Companion provisions in the same item restrict construction, drilling, or demolition equipment to the same evening-to-morning window on weekdays and Saturdays, bar it entirely on Sundays and holidays, and require best available technology such as mufflers for daytime construction noise between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. These hours attach only to developments that went through special permit or site plan review under Sec. 94-6.4.2, not to every loading dock in the city.
Violations & Fines
The Board of Health administers the 10 dBA-above-ambient ceiling under item 1 and can act on a measured exceedance at the property line. The SPGA or Community Development Board separately enforces the operating-hours condition through the special permit itself, and under Sec. 94-6.4.13 an occupancy permit is withheld until the project demonstrates compliance, with a monitoring program available post-issuance for repeat noise complaints.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Medford warehouse take deliveries at 10 p.m.?
Who measures whether loading noise breaks the Medford limit?
Does the 6 p.m.-to-8 a.m. loading restriction apply to every business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
Compare Medford to another location·View the Massachusetts parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.