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Garland council adopts code amendment defining commercial drone delivery hubs with FAA-aligned thresholds
Summary
The Garland City Council unanimously approved a development-code amendment creating definitions, setbacks and placement rules for commercial drone delivery hubs, aligning weight thresholds with FAA guidance and reserving airborne operations to federal oversight.
The Garland City Council on April 1 approved an amendment to the Garland Development Code that defines and regulates commercial drone delivery hubs, creating separate rules for “large” and “small” hubs and setting land-use buffers tied to takeoff weight.
City planning staff said the amendment adds two uses — “commercial drone delivery hub, large” and “commercial drone delivery hub, small” — and a supplemental “drone staging area” definition to clarify how ground operations will be regulated. “For the large, it’s the takeoff weight of 55 55 pounds or over. For the small 1, it’s, under 55 pounds. And that threshold, 55 pounds, come, comes from Federal Aviation Administration, FAA,” staff said during the council presentation.
The ordinance distinguishes where hubs are allowed and when a special use permit (SUP) will be required: large hubs would be allowed only in industrial zoning with an SUP, while small hubs would be allowed in community retail, light commercial, heavy commercial and industrial zones with an SUP. The code also establishes staging-area requirements including screening for equipment and accessory structures, parking and loading clarifications, and specific hours of operation.
Staff described proposed residential buffers tied to noise and safety: “For small commercial drone delivery hub, they can't be within 150 feet of residential dueling unit. For a large 1, they can't be within 300 feet of a residential dueling unit,” the planner said. The staff presentation referenced a noise-review summary used to set those distances, noting typical drone flight noise estimates and comparing them to morning residential ambient noise levels.
Council members asked how the city would enforce in-flight safety and noise complaints. Staff replied that once a drone is airborne the Federal Aviation Administration has jurisdiction. “We're always happy to take calls, but, generally, we won't have, regulating authority on those,” staff said, adding that the city can regulate noise and other standards when operations occur on the ground at the staging area and may require a sound study as part of an SUP where warranted.
The development-services committee and the plan commission both considered the amendment; the plan commission recommended approval. Council member Hedrick moved to approve the amendment and the council approved it with no recorded opposition.
The amendment brings Garland’s code into alignment with FAA definitions while reserving local control over ground-based staging areas, setbacks and accessory-site conditions. Council members said the city wanted to provide clarity for prospective operators while recognizing the city’s limits on regulating in-flight drone operations.
Planning staff said they will bring implementing language and specific permit requirements back to the city’s permit process as applicants apply for SUPs.
