Amazon wants to establish a new drone launch and landing pad in North Myrtle Beach, and not everyone is pleased.
North Myrtle Beach has received “almost overwhelmingly negative” resident feedback about the drone pad, including concerns about safety, noise, quality of life, property value, wildlife and the coastal environment, said Planning Division Assistant Director Suzanne Pritchard. Amid local pushback, the North Myrtle Beach Planning Commission will hold a special workshop to review the drone pad request at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
The online mega-retailer, which operates a fulfillment center in North Myrtle Beach, is seeking to establish a roughly 13,600-square-foot pad in an existing service and parking area at the site. The enclosed pad would include drone launch, landing and divert pads; drone storage containers; turn stations and other equipment.
“The commission is not deciding whether drones can fly in North Myrtle Beach or what routes they can take. The FAA regulates the airspace, including drone flight paths and altitudes,” North Myrtle Beach public information officer Lauren Jessie said in a video shared to the city’s social media. “The question before the Planning Commission is whether a proposed concrete launch-and-landing pad can be located on the existing property.”…