Council approves Walmart drone-delivery hub after briefing, questions about hours and safety

The Anna City Council voted unanimously Jan. 14, 2025, to amend planned-development ordinance No. 648-2014 (PD 24-5) to allow a commercial drone-delivery hub at the Walmart on Buddy Hayes Boulevard.

The hub proposed by Walmart and operator Zipline would include nine double-dock charging towers and two single-dock loading kiosks adjacent to the store’s pharmacy entrance, staff said. Zipline representatives said the aircraft climb to about 300 feet for transit, fly at roughly 70 mph, and carry payloads up to about 8 lb. Connor Wilkinson, Zipline’s DFW representative, told the council that measurements taken near docks show noise levels under typical conversational volume and that “zips are quieter than most common neighborhood sounds.”

City planning staff recommended the PD amendment with added landscaping and an 8-foot…