WESTBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - Westboro leaders are considering a proposal to bring Amazon drone delivery to the town, but at a meeting Thursday, residents raised concerns about noise, privacy, and safety if the plan were to be greenlit.
More than 100 concerned citizens packed an auditorium Thursday night, opposing Amazon’s Prime Air. The global company is seeking to transform its facility in Westboro into a drone delivery spot. Amazon says the drones will speed up delivery times, but people who live in the town are not convinced of its necessity.
“I will never be able to enjoy my home with my family in the same way again if this happens, and I would understand why a buyer wouldn’t want something like that either, that they wouldn’t buy my house, or any of the houses that would be affected by this,” one resident said.
Residents mentioned several concerns about the drones, including the noise and the fact that the devices capture video while they’re in the air.
“What is this going to do to little ears? What does this do to all of us? The second one, is what kind of community do we want to live in? As it was mentioned before, many of us use our backyards, our tables, our front porches as family spaces. This is where I do breastfeeding, this is where we play, this is where we spend time enjoying nature, so what does it mean to us as a family if there are intrusive devices overhead recording those intimate family moments?” one mother said.
Amazon claims the sound from the drones is comparable to that of a passing car.
The company is also the town’s largest taxpayer. It held an informational meeting last week, but did not attend Thursday’s meeting.
Winthrop’s Select Board stood with the residents, and were universal in their opposition to the proposal. The Board said it will now draft a letter that will be sent to state lawmakers urging them to give their input on the situation. The board also said it would look at the legislation in other communities, including North Reading, that are more restrictive of drones.
More meetings about the situation are scheduled tentatively for later this month.
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