Richardson neighbors sick of Amazon Prime Air ‘drone highway’ above their homes

Turbulence is growing in several Richardson neighborhoods over Amazon’s drone delivery program, with residents raising concerns about noise, privacy, and safety.

The Richardson City Council approved Amazon Prime Air operations last year, but many neighbors say they didn’t know about it until they started seeing and hearing drones fly overhead.

Amazon markets its drone deliveries as “ultrafast, safe, and convenient.” But for some residents living near the company’s drone facility on Research Drive, the experience has been anything but.

‘Drone highway’

From the launch site, drones around 80 pounds take off multiple times a day, traveling as far as seven-and-a-half miles to deliver packages, according to the company’s website.

Residents say that means flying over their homes, and even a nearby school, on a regular basis.

Neighbors describe the constant traffic as a “drone highway” in the sky.

“I can hear them even in my home when I’m inside with the TV on,” said Richardson resident Angie Rogers. “I can still hear them.”

Kristi Graham said sometimes, the drones pass over her home every three to five minutes.

“They’ve taken away our peace in our neighborhood and our neighborhood streets,” she said.

One of the biggest issues for residents is how low the drones appear to be flying.

“These drones are barely at 100 feet over our homes,” Graham said. “We’ve had drone operators come out and demonstrate… and it is way too low.”

One Amazon drone crashed in the city in February.

In a later update to city council members, a company spokesperson said there was “some type of interference” with the drone’s GPS next to the building “of that size.”

In the public meeting, the spokesperson said they’ve “removed all buildings of similar height and size from our delivery portfolio,” meaning big, multifamily developments.

Residents also say there wasn’t enough communication about the program before it launched. Several neighbors claim only one homeowners’ association was notified before operations began.

“We were unaware of it completely until the drones started flying like six months ago,” said neighbor Gary Martinie.

Complaints lead to protests

In March, Richardson’s City Manager told NBC 5’s Maria Guerrero that they were encouraging the company to increase their base flying altitude to reduce neighbors’ concerns.

Neighbors say their first public comments started in January and, after months of attending meetings and complaining to the city, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Amazon, residents say they’ve seen little change.

“We’ve complained to the city, we’ve complained to the FAA numerous times with really no results. Some promises, but no results,” said Martinie.

On Saturday, residents from at least four neighborhoods took their concerns to the streets, holding a protest to raise awareness and demand action and greater oversight.

“I just wish they would relocate this drone port to a different area,” said resident Nancy Crowe.

“We would like them to go away and stop flying over our homes, our backyards, destroying our peace in our neighborhood,” echoed Graham.

Until then, many say they’ll continue speaking out, determined to make sure their voices rise above the sound of drones overhead.

Amazon responds

Amazon said customer feedback on Prime Air deliveries has been overwhelmingly positive.

In an emailed statement to NBC 5, the company also emphasized that it made efforts to engage with the community before launch.

“Our team engaged extensively with Richardson residents, city leaders, and neighborhood associations before launching drone delivery in this area,” the statement read. “We also increased flight altitudes and adjusted flight paths to reduce impact on residential areas.”

Amazon added that it respects the right of residents to peacefully protest and values community feedback.

“We will continue working with community members and city officials to address their questions and concerns,” the spokesperson wrote.

FAA environmental study

NBC 5 reached out to the FAA for comment on this story, but has not yet received a response.

According to the agency’s website, it has just published a draft study that will be used for future drone delivery operation requests.

The document was open to public comment, which closed in January.

You can find the draft here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/Part_135_National_DRAFT_PEA_approved_508.pdf

You can also find more informational videos from the agency here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/package_delivery_drone