Northglenn sets first reading for drone delivery rules after Walmart proposes 10755 N. Washington Street drone hub

Northglenn City Council plans to introduce its first set of rules for drone delivery on Oct. 12 after Walmart proposed placing a drone hub at its store at 10755 N. Washington St.

If approved, Northglenn, population about 39,000, would become the first city in the north Denver metro to regulate commercial drone delivery. The council wants to finish the rules by the end of October.

"This tech is coming, and it's coming fast," Mayor Meredith Leighty said at a Sept. 21 public meeting. "I actually like that we're on the front end of it, but we do have to be aware that we may have to make some adjustments as we go."

The ordinance process began after Walmart approached the city in August with plans to establish what it calls a "drone nest" at the North Washington Street store. Ryan Irsik, Walmart's director of government relations, told council members in a presentation that the nest would take up 13 to 30 parking spaces. Delivery operations would be run by Wing, a company owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Josh Bucci, Wing's site launch manager, said the drones would fly about 150 to 400 feet high and carry up to 5 pounds. If the city approves the proposed location, Wing would deliver Walmart orders within 30 minutes, with five minutes of flight time.

"We're not talking your week's worth of groceries. It's really just those convenience items," Bucci said.

The Federal Aviation Administration controls drone flight rules, including altitude and routing, but Northglenn can regulate the equipment on the ground. The proposed ordinance would require a special use permit for drone hubs. Hubs would have to be a minimum distance from homes and schools, keep noise at 65 decibels or lower near the ground and operate only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Becky Smith, Northglenn's director of planning and development, said the city wants to establish standards before more companies apply to use drone delivery.

"Without use specific regulations, businesses interested in drone delivery face uncertainty about what the city expects and how an application will be evaluated," Smith said. "Clear standards give them a predictable path, and they make the review process more straightforward for staff and the Planning Commission."

Smith said at the Sept. 21 meeting that the regulations would apply to any drone delivery service, not just Walmart. She noted that fast food restaurants in some parts of the country have begun testing drone deliveries where the practice is approved.

The city's special use permit would last one year. Council members could amend both the permit and the ordinance later in 2027.

The council is expected to work through amendments before a second reading scheduled for the end of October.