Amazon drops Westborough drone delivery plan after pushback

Amazon has withdrawn its controversial bid to introduce a drone delivery program in Westborough, Massachusetts, according to local lawmakers.

“Tonight Amazon called us to share that they would be withdrawing their application to the Town of Westborough for a drone package delivery launch site,” Millbury Sen. Michael Moore and Reps. Hannah Kane of Shrewsbury and Kate Donaghue of Westborough said in a statement Friday evening. “We are extremely pleased and thank Amazon for listening to the overwhelming concerns voiced in making this decision.”

There has been intense 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. State and federal lawmakers, local officials and community members all have demanded a say in the matter. In a letter sent to the town dated Oct. 30, Amazon wrote that it “hereby requests approval of the Westborough Planning Board to withdraw, without prejudice,” its site plan review application.

The lawmakers expressed gratitude to advocacy group Mass Blue Skies, local officials and the communities “who came together to effectively advocate and share their concerns about noise, safety, privacy, environmental and quality of life impacts.”

Amazon wrote in its letter that the company “values its relationship with the Town of Westborough and looks forward to continuing to work with Town officials on next steps.”