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Redmond adopts interim rules to limit commercial drone ports while staff crafts permanent regulations
Summary
After detailed debate about noise, privacy and FAA jurisdiction, the Redmond City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 3257 to limit commercial drone ports to industrial and manufacturing park zones as staff develops a one‑year work plan for permanent rules and business licensing.
The Redmond City Council unanimously adopted an interim official control to restrict where commercial drone ports may locate while the city writes permanent regulations governing commercial drone operations and licensing.
Glenn Coyle, senior planner, told the council the ordinance is narrowly focused on land use: "The IOC will restrict commercial drone ports to two zones, manufacturing park and industrial," he said, and emphasized that the city "is preempted by federal law to regulate drone operations in flight" (Glenn Coyle). The interim control was intended to provide predictable zoning while staff develops a work plan and public engagement to craft final regulations and any required business-licensing framework.
Council members pressed staff on scope and impacts. Questions included the footprint of a commercial port (staff estimated about a 10,000-square-foot facility including pads and support space), examples of operators (Zipline, a retail-delivery model; and large fulfillment proposals referenced in staff outreach), and whether a moratorium would have been simpler. The city attorney and staff advised that the IOC gives the city an immediate, enforceable land-use rule rather than leaving the zoning uncontrolled and risking early vesting of uses the council might later restrict.
Public-safety officials joined the discussion. Chief Low said local air-management tasks would initially rest with the police department’s drone/air program and noted typical operations would take place in the same general airspace bodies already manage for emergency drones (roughly a few hundred feet above ground level).
The council debated amendments that would have narrowed the zones further (several members proposed excluding manufacturing park areas); those amendments failed in the recorded votes. After discussion the full ordinance passed on a roll-call vote, 7–0. A public hearing on the IOC was scheduled within the 60‑day requirement; permanent rules are to be developed under a one‑year work plan presented to planning commission and council.
Next steps: staff will run the stakeholder and technical engagement called for in the work plan, evaluate business‑licensing options, and explore an office or coordinated approach to "air management" that would monitor operations as legally feasible. Council members asked for broad community outreach focused on noise, privacy, safety, and proximity to sensitive uses such as residences, parks and emergency facilities.
Authorities and ordinance: Ordinance 3257 imposes an interim official control to amend zoning articles and establishes a public hearing schedule (hearing set for June 2) and a one‑year work plan with planning‑commission review and a council decision by April 2027.
