Thurston County, WA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Parking ratio
- 1 space per 500 sq ft gross floor area
- Loading rule
- Parking may double as loading if driveways stay clear
- Parking location
- Rear or side only, none between building and street
- District
- Neighborhood Commercial District, Chapter 21.36
- Cross-reference
- Chapter 21.70 mixed-use design standards also apply
- Citation
- Thurston County Code § 21.36.070
Summary
In Thurston County's Neighborhood Commercial zoning district, County Code Section 21.36.070 lets a business double up its required parking as loading space. Subsection B allows parking spaces to double as loading zones, provided loading operations never block driveways, while the rest of the section fixes exactly how much parking a site must have and where it can sit.
A.One parking space for each five hundred square feet of gross floor area shall be required.B.Parking spaces may be used for loading zones in this district, provided that loading operations shall not obstruct driveways.C.Off street parking spaces are to be so arranged as to make it unnecessary for vehicles to back out into the public right-of-way.D.Parking shall be provided to the rear or side of the structure. No parking shall be permitted between the building and the right-of-way.E.All design, parking and pedestrian requirements for mixed use zones in Chapter 21.70 shall also be satisfied.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 77).
Full Breakdown
010 to let residents build small-scale commercial facilities within residential areas that serve everyday consumer needs, capped at ten thousand square feet per site. 070 sets the parking and loading standards that apply to every commercial use inside this district. Subsection A requires one off-street parking space for every five hundred square feet of gross floor area. Subsection B is the loading-zone rule itself: a business may use its required parking spaces for loading and unloading, but the code is explicit that loading operations shall not obstruct driveways, so a delivery truck cannot block the access aisle drivers need to enter or exit the lot.
Subsection C requires parking to be arranged so no vehicle has to back into the public right-of-way, and Subsection D pushes all parking, including any loading activity, to the rear or side of the building; none of it can sit between the structure and the street. 050. 70, any project layout, including where loading activity happens, is reviewed against those additional design-review criteria before the county will approve a site plan.
Violations & Fines
Section 21.36.070 is mandatory, not advisory: subsections A through D use 'shall,' so a site plan that omits the one-space-per-500-square-foot ratio, lets loading block a driveway, or places parking between the building and the street does not meet code and cannot receive site plan approval. Subsection E extends the same requirement to the Chapter 21.70 design standards, so a loading area that conflicts with those mixed-use rules must be redesigned before Thurston County will sign off on the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business in Thurston County's Neighborhood Commercial district use its parking lot for deliveries?
How much parking does Thurston County require for a Neighborhood Commercial building?
Where can parking and loading areas be located on a Neighborhood Commercial lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Thurston County
Compare Thurston County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.