NampaThursday, November 12
Nampa and Meridian are fielding complaints about Amazon's new delivery drones
The Daily Caldwell team
If you've heard buzzing over Nampa or Meridian lately, you're not imagining it. Amazon started drone deliveries from its Nampa facility at the end of October. Nampa Communications Director Amy Bowman estimated the city has gotten about 20-25 emails and calls since launch. Meridian says it has received a handful.
Amazon's drone service covers a wide area
- 7.5 miles
- flight radius from Amazon's Nampa facility
- 170
- square miles of delivery area across parts of Nampa and Meridian
- 5 pounds
- largest package the drones deliver
- 20-25
- emails and calls to Nampa since launch
Source: Boise Dev
Neighbors told KIVI-TV they can hear the drones indoors with windows and doors closed, and one has started looking at other homes. Nampa has asked Amazon for flight data, and staff visited the area last week to observe. The city says it's checking that Amazon is following its conditional use permit.
68 decibelspeak level Amazon cited for backyard package delivery
Amazon gave that figure when Nampa's commission weighed the permit. If the drones were louder than Amazon said and two or more residents complained, that could be grounds for revoking the permit if staff found the concerns valid.
Source: Boise Dev
- FAA complaints: submit them through the FAA's website
- Amazon support line: 1-888-280-4331
- Amazon online: pick "Something else," then "Amazon Drone Delivery"
Want to weigh in? We suggest filing with both Amazon and the FAA. Nampa's flyer and Meridian's website say cities are "generally preempted" from regulating drones. Meridian says it's also gathering resident feedback.