Residents urge Richardson council to investigate frequent low-flying delivery drones over neighborhood

Two neighbors from the Woods of Spring Creek told the Richardson City Council on the visitors forum that frequent, low-flying delivery drones are creating noise and privacy concerns in their subdivision.

"I have videos of that," Angie Rogers said during her five-minute public comment, describing drones that she said fly over her home "about 100 times a day" and sometimes as often as five in three minutes. "You can hear these drones inside my house," she said, and invited the council to visit her property to see what residents are experiencing.

Scott Burns, who identified himself as Rogers’s neighbor, described the devices as "very large" and low, saying they appeared to be roughly "3 or 4 feet in wing length" and at times no higher than about 75 feet. "They come every 3 or 4 minutes," he said, and called their presence "concerning." Both speakers said they were looking into Federal Aviation Administration rules and had not yet received a definitive answer on permitted altitudes.

Council members did not take formal action during public comment. City staff previously advised that the FAA governs many aspects of small unmanned aircraft operations; at the meeting staff reiterated that residents may contact the FAA and that the city can provide factual responses about local permitting and rights-of-way where applicable. No city directive or enforcement action was announced at the meeting.

Next steps: residents said they will continue to collect video evidence and inquire with the FAA; councilmembers asked staff to note the complaints and provide factual follow-up where the city has authority.