Plymouth, MN Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Plymouth's off-street loading standards set specific dimensions by use under City Code Section 21135.14, Subd. 1(a). Residential loading spaces must measure at least 12 feet wide by 32 feet long, or 12 by 40 feet if the space runs parallel to the building; non-residential loading spaces step up to at least 12 feet wide, 14 feet high and 60 feet long, or 12 by 65 feet parallel to the building. No designated side loading space may encroach on a fire lane, driving aisle or parking space, and every loading space needs a separate maneuvering area big enough for a truck tractor and trailer to back in without blocking other loading spaces, drives or parking. The Zoning Administrator can reduce loading space size only on a documented showing of facility need, and the construction and setback standards from Section 21135.07, Subd. 1 and 3 apply to every loading space's pavement and setback.

Location rules in Subd. 4 add further limits: every required non-residential loading space must sit off-street on the same lot as the use it serves, loading curb cuts must be at least 50 feet from a street intersection measured from the property line, and any loading area established after March 7, 1995 is barred within 300 feet of residentially zoned or guided property unless an intervening building fully screens it, or unless berms, fences or walls provide 100 percent opacity to at least ten feet in height, measured from the loading area's grade. Loading spaces cannot obstruct pedestrian movement or the sight line from parking access, and Subd. 3 requires screening from all property lines that is architecturally consistent with the principal structure and coordinated with Section 21130's landscaping rules. The required number of spaces scales with gross floor area, from one space under 10,000 square feet up to five spaces at 75,000 to 100,000 square feet, with one more for each additional 50,000 square feet beyond that.