Redmond council imposes temporary ban on drone ports in industrial zones amid privacy, noise concerns

The Redmond City Council on June 2 amended an interim land‑use control to bar commercial drone ports in the city’s manufacturing‑park and industrial zones while the city completes a permanent regulatory framework.

The vote was unanimous. Council members said they were persuaded by public testimony calling for stronger privacy, data‑collection and noise protections and by requests from residents and neighborhood groups for more time and engagement. "We should not sacrifice privacy at the altar of convenience," said Council member Parsy during deliberations.

Planning director Carol Heland and senior planner Glenn Coyle had introduced the interim official control (IOC), adopted previously to address commercial drone landing and charging sites while permanent regulations proceed. Heland emphasized that the IOC addresses only land use — where ground facilities may be placed — and noted that airspace regulation remains under federal authority (the FAA).

Representatives from Zipline, a national drone delivery operator, said drones already operate in other U.S. communities and urged the council to make the IOC functionally usable. "We're not looking to rewrite the IOC," said Jake Robinson of Zipline's government affairs team, urging the council to change a 50‑foot property‑line setback so firms could find viable sites. Zipline representatives argued drone delivery could reduce vehicle trips, emissions and delivery times.

But multiple residents and advocates urged caution. Acoustics expert Linda Seltzer warned of blade and airframe noise at takeoff and landing — estimating 75–85 dBA at close range — and said multiple simultaneous operations would raise peak sound levels. David Morton urged city leaders to build enforceable privacy and data‑minimization rules for any commercial drone operator and to consider oversight if drone ports are privately owned.

Citing these concerns and the need for broader public outreach, the council voted to change the IOC land‑use table so drone ports are not permitted (marked "N") in the two zones where the IOC had previously allowed them under restricted conditions. The council directed staff to route the issue through the planning commission work plan and to continue a parallel effort to develop business‑license and oversight tools.

Heland told the council the change should be treated as an interim step; in the absence of local regulation she said the city has limited ability to restrict aircraft in flight, which remain regulated by the FAA. The city will continue to work on a one‑year plan for permanent regulations, public engagement and companion business‑licensing requirements. The council set a further public hearing date and asked staff to return with options for stakeholder outreach.

The amendment passed by voice vote 7–0.