Amazon Withdraws Drone Delivery Proposal In Central MA Town

WESTBOROUGH, MA — Amazon has withdrawn its application for a Prime Air drone delivery center at its Otis Street fulfillment facility following sustained opposition from residents and government officials.

Amazon asked the Westborough Planning Board on Friday to allow the company to withdraw site plan review application No. 26-02275 without prejudice. The proposal would have turned part of the parking lot at 64 Otis St. into a drone launch and landing area serving Westborough and surrounding communities.

Amazon Says Revised Proposal Is Coming

The withdrawal does not necessarily end Amazon’s plans for drone delivery in Westborough. An Amazon spokesperson told CBS Boston Sunday that the company intends to submit a revised proposal following additional discussions with local stakeholders.

“We will be resubmitting a revised project soon, after further discussions with local stakeholders,” spokesperson Lindsay Hamilton said.

State Sen. Michael Moore, state Rep. Hannah Kane and state Rep. Kate Donaghue announced the withdrawal Saturday, saying Amazon called them the previous night.

“We are extremely pleased and thank Amazon for listening to the overwhelming concerns voiced in making this decision,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

They credited residents, Mass Blue Skies, local officials, Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Central Massachusetts lawmakers and the state’s congressional delegation for pressing for additional scrutiny of the proposal.

Amazon wanted to use electric MK30 drones to deliver packages weighing up to 5 pounds to addresses within about 7.5 miles of the Westborough facility. The service area could have included Northborough, Shrewsbury, most of Grafton and Southborough and portions of Worcester, Sutton and other communities.

The company hoped to eventually make as many as 1,000 deliveries per day from the facility. Residents raised concerns about noise, flight routes, operating hours, safety, privacy, cybersecurity and potential environmental effects.

Moore, Kane and Donaghue asked Amazon in September to pause the project and conduct broader community outreach before beginning service.

Central MA Town Voters Approved Drone Restrictions

Opposition intensified in October. Westborough Special Town Meeting voters approved new restrictions on ground-based commercial drone operations by a 510-13 vote. The bylaw targets commercial drone staging, takeoffs, landings, loading, unloading and delivery drop zones, Patch reported.

The measure does not prohibit drones from flying through Westborough because the Federal Aviation Administration controls national airspace. It must also undergo state review before taking effect.

MassDOT’s Aeronautics Division separately informed Amazon that Prime Air could not begin operating from Westborough without a state Certificate of Approval. The agency said it planned to hold at least one public hearing before making a decision, according to the town’s Prime Air project page.

Federal lawmakers, including Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan also requested a site-specific environmental review of the Westborough operation. Massachusetts joined 14 other states and Harris County, Texas, in challenging the FAA’s broader environmental review of commercial drone delivery operations.

The proposal faced a separate appeal of the Westborough building commissioner’s determination that the drone operation qualified as an allowed accessory use at the warehouse. The Zoning Board of Appeals was scheduled to hear that challenge Nov. 2 while the Planning Board had continued its site plan hearing until Nov. 10, according to the Town of Westborough.

Amazon said in its withdrawal letter that it values its relationship with Westborough and expects to continue working with town officials on its next steps, according to WBUR.

See Also:

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• Fisher Street Project Would Add Shared-Use Path Near Westborough Schools