Redmond sets July 21 hearing on drone-port land uses

Redmond sets July 21 hearing on drone-port land uses

Redmond City Council will hold a public hearing on July 21 at 7 p.m. at City Hall on amended interim controls for commercial drone port land uses. The city’s notice says the proposal would prohibit those uses in the Manufacturing Park and Industry zones.

This is a land-use rule, not a general ban on drones. Redmond says the city is limited by federal law and FAA rules on drone flight and airspace, while local zoning can still control where commercial drone facilities are allowed and what standards they must meet.

For residents and property owners, the practical issue is where a drone-related facility could be sited and how close it could get to homes or other sensitive uses. For developers and industrial landowners, the hearing is another sign that drone-port proposals face closer local review.

The July 21 hearing follows earlier council action on the interim controls and comes while the city works on permanent rules. For people who want to weigh in, it is the next public checkpoint in Redmond’s drone-port land-use process.

Sources

• City of Redmond — Drone Port Land Uses
• City of Redmond Legistar — Commercial drone land uses legislation detail