Council approves first reading for Wing drone autoloader at Walmart parking lot

The Hearst City Council voted Aug. 12 to approve on first reading a site-plan revision permitting Wing drone delivery operations to add an autoloader in the Super Walmart parking lot at 1732 Precinct Line Road.

Planning staff introduced the request as a site-plan revision to make an autoloader permanent after a one-year trial. "This is a site plan revision request, for Wing drone delivery that is, currently located in the parking lot, the Super Walmart at 1732 Precinct Line Road," the planner said during the hearing.

Deborah Meek, speaking for Walmart, told the council the retailer wants the operation to continue "indefinitely" and has a plan to replace several trees that died on the site. Carolyn Cook, a civil engineer with Kimley-Horn, described the plan change: the autoloader will remove nine parking spaces and sit in the curbside pickup area so store associates can load packages into the autoloader as part of their normal workflow.

Kendall Prosac, a Wing representative, described the autoloader as a device where an associate can load a package that the drone then retrieves from the autoloader and flies to a customer. "An auto loader...is really where automation and functionality meet," Prosac said. She added the operation remains jointly managed: Wings' ground team retains responsibility for aircraft maintenance and FAA-regulated handling; the autoloader allows Walmart associates to participate in loading curbside packages.

Council questions and clarifications Council asked about parking and safety buffers; the applicant team said the autoloader is buffered by at least one space on either side and separated from customer parking by a drive aisle. Councilmembers asked whether any incidents had occurred; Wing and Walmart representatives said none had been reported from the Hearst site to date. The panel also confirmed the delivery radius is about 3.5 miles from the site, expandable to 6 miles, and that the maximum flights per site is capped at 100 flights per day although the Hearst location has not reached that number.

Vote and next steps Council approved ordinance 25-99 (first reading) to adopt the site-plan revision; the motion carried by voice vote. The applicants told council they will replace dead trees in October and will make identified masonry and screening repairs as part of the site changes.

Ending City staff and the applicants said they will return as required for any subsequent site-plan or permit-level approvals; the autoloader will be installed in the designated curbside pickup area and the nest will remain in its existing location.