During a city council meeting on Nov. 27, 2023, Plano council members decided to hold off on making a final decision regarding a rezoning ordinance for drone delivery services.
Land Records Planning Manager Christina Sebastian noted that drone delivery hubs first came to the city's attention last year when drone delivery company DroneUp partnered with Walmart, currently bringing air travel delivery to Frisco and Plano residences.
DroneUp currently operates 11 locations in Dallas-Fort Worth alone, with one already operating out of a Walmart Neighborhood Market on Custer Road in Plano, even though it is not permitted use. DroneUp received a notice of violation, but the city held off on any further enforcement due to the discussions underway at the council.
Primary issues brought up by residents related to drone delivery involve concerns about noise and privacy. DroneUp's Chief Operating Officer Anthony Vittone reassured that the drones produce no more noise than a leaf blower or a delivery truck on the street. Vittone also emphasized that the drones' cameras are solely utilized for navigation and safety purposes.
During the Nov. 27 meeting, it was decided that the vote would be delayed until Feb. 26, 2024, to give members a chance to evaluate the drones and collect additional data.
“We had the opportunity as a council to meet in person to see the operations in two different areas one in Frisco, one in Plano,” Mayor John B. Muns said during the meeting. “Unfortunately, it was a couple of days before Thanksgiving, so we had a lot of us gone. We still need some of that information so we’re respectfully hoping that we can table this item until we can get some real data that can be analyzed and explained to us.”
If the zoning passes in February, drone delivery would be an option for residents and retailers throughout the city.
As Local Profile previously reported shoppers within a mile of a participating store can place orders between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and receive products up to 10 pounds, and even including fragile items like eggs, in as little as 30 minutes. DroneUp-certified pilots will deliver orders to the front yard, backyard or driveway and deliveries use a cable that gently lowers the package into the customer’s desired location.
