demanded a say in the matter

Municipal pushback to the controversial Amazon Prime drone delivery proposal that locals and lawmakers have been sounding the alarm about for weeks is growing, from the 15 cities and towns that say they'll be impacted by the delivery service and the trade group that represents Massachusetts' 351 municipalities.

The communities that expect to be impacted by the delivery service this week urged the Federal Aviation Administration and Amazon to listen to their concerns, evaluate region-specific impacts and incorporate public participation in the process. The Massachusetts Municipal Association added its own pushback to the retail giant's proposal to deliver Prime Air packages weighing less than 5 pounds by unmanned aircraft within a 7.5-mile radius of its Westborough fulfillment center. 

"The decisions made in Westborough will extend well beyond the town. Companies other than Amazon are already securing federal certification for drone delivery, and many operators are likely to convert existing distribution sites in the same way," MMA Executive Director and CEO Adam Chapdelaine wrote in a Wednesday evening letter to Jonathan Greeley, Amazon’s head of economic development for New England, and Tareq Wafaie, the company's economic development policy manager.

"The process used here could become the precedent for every city and town in the Commonwealth facing similar proposals," Chapdelaine wrote. "Establishing clear, consistent rules for siting, review, and community participation now will serve all 351 municipalities over the long term." 

Chapdelaine wrote that while the proposal would create "a delivery footprint" across 15 municipalities, the "local officials responsible for public safety, zoning, and resident quality of life have had very little formal voice in a decision that directly affects the airspace above their residents."

There has been significant community upset about the proposal. On Oct. 19, a Westborough Special Town Meeting voted 510-13 to establish regulations for unmanned aircraft, and 16 central Massachusetts lawmakers asked Gov. Maura Healey to put an indefinite moratorium on processing commercial drone delivery operator applications. A Healey spokesperson said at the time that the letter was being reviewed and the situation was being monitored.

"There's a challenge with this specific proposal, but then I think the larger area, the other main reason why we think it was necessary for us to jump in and get involved, is because of what the downstream effects are going to be, knowing that between technology and a lot of interest in commerce, this will not be the last type of issue with maybe other companies or other utilization of drone technology across the state," MMA Legislative Director Dave Koffman told the News Service.

The Westborough Select Board and 14 other impacted municipalities on Tuesday sent a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy about their "collective concerns" regarding the proposal. Representatives of Ashland, Boylston, Grafton, Shrewsbury, Hopkinton, Southborough, Hudson, Sutton, Marlborough, Upton, Millbury, West Boylston, Northborough and Worcester signed on.

MassDOT Aeronautics Division Administrator Denise Garcia wrote to Amazon last week that the company "cannot establish a takeoff and landing area in Westborough—or anywhere else in Massachusetts—without first obtaining a certificate of approval from the Aeronautics Division under Chapter 90." She wrote that Amazon "should expect" MassDOT to schedule at least one public hearing before determining whether the company gets a certificate of approval, invoking public concerns the agency has heard about the situation.

Amazon spokesperson Lindsay Hamilton wrote in a response statement, "We remain committed to working closely with state and local officials as we continue to explore operations in Massachusetts. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the safety of our operations and continue our engagement with local residents."

"Prime Air has a proven track record of safe operations across 9 states, with every flight representing more than a decade of testing, data-driven validation, and a commitment to responsible innovation," Hamilton continued. "The FAA, which regulates drone flight operations, cleared Prime Air to fly because we met their thorough safety standards. Each site only launches after completing all of the FAA’s rigorous approval processes, including airspace and environmental requirements."

Amazon noted that Prime Air has a system that monitors the airspace and environment around the drone so it can make decisions while in flight, and said that all Prime Air operations are subject to the FAA's environmental review process prior to launch.

"We recognize that drone delivery technology is evolving. However, the introduction of commercial drone delivery at this scale requires a thorough understanding of its potential consequences before operations begin," the municipalities wrote in their letter. They lent support to one sent by U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Reps. Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan to the FAA and Amazon on Oct. 14, in which they urged the two entities to work together to require a "rigorous site-specific" environmental assessment of Amazon's Westborough facility with "a robust public comment period, before authorizing operations there."

The municipalities have not yet heard back, according to Westborough. 

"The FAA should not rely solely on an existing nationwide environmental finding that may not adequately reflect Westborough and the surrounding region," they wrote. "New England's distinctive characteristics, including historic town centers, residential neighborhoods, forests, wetlands, wildlife, and seasonal weather conditions, warrant a site-specific assessment."

Koffman said the MMA welcomes "engagement with Amazon with open arms and open invitation."

"In many cases we've heard of very good working relationships with companies like Amazon. But the challenge is, how does this continue to move forward in a way that is having the appropriate engagement and community engagement necessary?" Koffman said, calling the issue "a potential canary in a coal mine." 

The Westborough Zoning Board of Appeals plans to meet Nov. 2 to consider an appeal of the Zoning Enforcement Officer's "interpretation of drone delivery as an accessory use to the operations at 64 Otis Street," the town posted on its website.