Westborough, Massachusetts, has finalized a proposed bylaw governing unmanned aircraft as Amazon’s plan to launch Prime Air deliveries from the town moves through local and federal approvals.
The town’s Select Board completed the draft on October 15 and authorized the town manager to finalize a letter to the FAA and Amazon, potentially for circulation to other affected communities. The measures are slated for consideration under Article 8 at the town’s October 19 Special Town Meeting, according to the town’s Prime Air application page.
Residents and local officials have raised concerns about noise, flight frequency, routes, operating hours, privacy, safety, cybersecurity and environmental effects. Boston 25 News reported that the town drafted rules it wants the FAA to enforce after residents voiced concerns at a Thursday meeting. Massachusetts lawmakers have also asked Amazon to examine the potential impact of the proposed operation and requested a response by the end of October.
Amazon has proposed using unmanned aircraft to deliver packages weighing less than 5 pounds within a 7.5-mile radius of its fulfillment center, Boston 25 reported. The town’s application page says Amazon is seeking site-specific FAA approvals and authorizations to operate Prime Air from 64 Otis Street.
The local process remains unresolved. Westborough’s Planning Board continued its site-plan hearing until November 10, while the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to hear an appeal of the Building Commissioner’s zoning interpretation on November 2. That interpretation classified the proposed Prime Air operation as an accessory use to the existing fulfillment center, leaving site-plan approval as the local land-use approval required at this stage, according to the town.
The bylaw would not replace FAA authority over national airspace or federal aviation approvals. It adds a local regulatory track for a commercial drone deployment whose operating permissions and site approval are still pending.