Wing and Walmart describe proposed drone deliveries from Highway 92 Walmart in Woodstock

Wing, the drone delivery partner for Walmart, told the Woodstock City Council on Aug. 18 that it wants to operate residential drone deliveries from a nearby Walmart and is preparing site work and permitting with city staff.

“Kathryn Lovett, local policy and community affairs manager for Wing, said the company is “really excited to be expanding our partnership with Walmart from the state of Texas to Georgia,” and described the service as a fast option for small items such as over‑the‑counter medicines and household goods. Wing showed a demonstration video and explained operational details for a proposed site at 12182 Highway 92 (store number 575).

Wing representatives said the aircraft used in U.S. operations weigh about 11 pounds, carry up to 2.5 pounds of payload and have an authorized range of up to 6 miles from a store, although routing and local airspace constraints generally limit practical service to roughly a 4‑mile radius. Tariq Rashid, Wing’s director of Part 135 operations, told council that “the maximum service radius is 6 miles; however, that’s also constrained by the local airspace,” and that in practice the company plans for about a 4‑mile operating radius per store.

Company staff described a typical store “nest” as an 18‑pad fenced area that houses drones and charging pads, a battery‑powered generator to avoid diesel, and a Conex storage locker (or an alternative wooden “kiosk”) for overnight storage of aircraft. Wing said nests and autoloaders are intended to be sited near existing curbside pickup areas to minimize on‑site staff movement and that operations run only during daylight hours for the Georgia sites.

Wing emphasized safety and privacy controls: the company described layered protections including redundant propellers and a tether spool designed to detach and float to the ground, onboard cameras used for depth perception and geo‑navigation (described as low‑resolution, black‑and‑white images processed on the aircraft), and human Part‑107/Part‑135 certified monitors who oversee flights. “There is no live feed, nor is there audio going in or out of our drones,” Lovett said.

Council members raised regulatory and siting questions: staff noted zoning restrictions that prohibit storage trailers at the Walmart site and suggested a kiosk could avoid trailer restrictions, while planning staff said they will verify whether a site‑plan modification or a variance is required. Ms. Menard, planning staff, recommended reviewing existing zoning conditions attached to the Walmart parcel and said staff would return with specifics.

Council did not take formal action on the presentation; planning staff and Wing agreed to follow up on permitting questions, neighborhood outreach and a proposed site plan. Wing estimated site construction could begin within roughly 14–20 business days after permits are issued and said it would work with the city on community events to educate residents about the service.

What’s next: City planning staff will examine zoning conditions for the Highway 92 Walmart and report back to council on permit requirements and whether a site‑plan modification or variance is needed. Wing said it will continue coordination with staff on siting, community outreach and test flights.