Residents urge Hanover supervisors to press FAA and Amazon on drone flight paths near historic sites

Dorothea Henry, a resident of the Mechanicsville District, told the board she wants Hanover to "advocate for flight paths that protect Hanover's historic battlefields, parks and wildlife" before drone operations expand. She said Amazon's MK30 drones are large and cited the company's stated operating plans for the Richmond-area hub.

"Amazon's MK30 drones are quite large. They sit 5 feet high, have a wingspan of 5 and onetwo feet, and have 6 large propellers," Henry said, adding the company described an operating radius that reaches nearby sensitive sites. She told the board Amazon told her to "go take that up with the Hanover County Board," and asked supervisors to use the remaining window to engage the FAA, National Park Service and Amazon.

Henry asked officials to advocate that delivery routes avoid Cold Harbor Battlefield, the nearby cemetery and Garthwright House because, she said, programmatic protections are feasible: "After all, they can just fly around them." The board's chair responded that several members and staff would meet to gather information and bring in community-development staff before taking next steps.

The petition came during Citizens' Time; no formal board action was taken. The chair asked staff and several supervisors to meet and report back with options for engaging federal agencies and the company.