In a 4-3 vote, council approved a zoning change allowing Amazon to offer drone deliveries within a 7.5-mile radius during its June 9 meeting.
What’s happening?
The Amazon facility, located at 3051 Research Drive, is currently zoned for a distribution center, Senior City Planner Derica Peters said. The proposed changes to the zoning will allow Amazon to build a drone delivery hub no larger than 10,000 square feet, which would allow up to about 300 deliveries a day, Amazon Economic Development Policy Senior Manager Sam Bailey said.
“We’re looking to make a permanent infrastructure investment into the site that would operate from the city of Richardson, not just fly into it,” Bailey said.
Drone deliveries are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, Peters said, meaning that council cannot pass ordinances regulating flight paths. The city does have the authority to limit ground operations though, Peters said, such as flight hours.
Public input
Only two residents spoke at the meeting; however, the city received six written letters in opposition and one written letter in support. Most in opposition cited noise as the primary reason for opposition.
Richardson resident Dante Lopez spoke against the drone hub, saying that many changes in the area are negatively affecting nearby residents.
“I’m recently retired and wish to enjoy my coffee and pool in my backyard,” Lopez said.
The action taken
Council approved the change but limited the facilities operating hours. Bailey said the company requested operating hours from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, known as “civil twilight hours.”
Bailey said the reason for these hours is to ensure delivery could occur when people are home.
Council amended the zoning change to only allow delivery from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., saying there are cases when 30 minutes before sunrise could be about 5:30 a.m.
Those in favor
Council members Ken Hutchinrider, Curtis Dorian, Joe Corcoran and Arefin Shamsul all voted in favor of the change, saying that the technology is coming to the city regardless of the action taken at the meeting.
Hutchinrider said if the city does not pass the zoning, a neighboring city such as Garland or Plano could pass one for a facility that would still deliver to Richardson residents if they lived in the delivery radius.
Those opposed
Council members Jennifer Justice and Dan Barrios, along with Mayor Amir Omar, voted against the measure.
Justice said the reason she voted against it is because the city would have no recourse to recall the delivery hub if something were to go wrong.
Both Justice and Barrios said they would consider the hub if it were presented as a special use permit rather than zoning change because council has the ability to recall special use permits if certain conditions are not being met.
Omar said there was not enough information for him to vote in favor and proposed waiting six months to reconsider the case.
What’s next
Although City Council approved the change, an environmental impact analysis and public hearing with the FAA, which has authority over Richardson’s airspace, must be conducted.
City Manager Don Magner said the city will inform residents when the FAA public hearing is scheduled.
