Public Hearing and Ordinance - Zoning Application No. Z1225-0432

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

A public hearing was held for Zoning Application No. Z1225-0432. Adam Bailey, Director of Planning and Development Services, stated that Zipline International is requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow a drone delivery operation as a primary use on a 5.10-acre property currently developed with Quality Home Furniture. The proposed operation would function as a stand-alone staging and charging facility, consisting of three drone towers with 12 docking stations each, located within the existing paved parking area. The drone use would not share operations, employees, or activities with the furniture store, nor would it involve on-site package pickup or delivery, as all transfers occur at off-site partner locations. Installation would remove 34 parking spaces; however, the remaining 364 spaces would continue to meet ordinance parking requirements. Because the drone facility is proposed as a principal use rather than an accessory use, a CUP is required under Section 3-513 of the Mesquite Zoning Ordinance. The drone staging area shall be limited to a 5,500-square-foot area and be fully enclosed by an eight-foot black ornamental metal fence. Applicant Stephanie Cook, representing Zipline International, presented a short video highlighting the history of Zipline International. Zipline International is the worlds largest drone delivery service estimating 1.6 million commercial deliveries. The drones will deliver food products, retail and medical items such as prescriptions. The delivery drones are fully autonomous; however, FAA-approved pilots track the drones at all times. Deliveries start at a two mile radius and may expand up to ten miles. The maximum weight of deliveries is eight pounds. Hours of operation depend on the partners using the drone service for deliveries. No one appeared regarding the proposed application. Mr. Hubacek moved to approve Zoning Application No. Z1225-0432, as recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission, with certain stipulations, and to approve Ordinance No. 5227, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF MESQUITE, TEXAS, AMENDING THE MESQUITE ZONING ORDINANCE BY APPROVING A CHANGE OF ZONING FROM COMMERCIAL TO COMMERCIAL WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (“CUP”) TO ALLOW A DRONE DELIVERY SERVICE AS A PRIMARY USE ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT 227 EAST US HIGHWAY 80 SUBJECT TO CERTAIN STIPULATIONS; REPEALING ALL OTHER ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY NOT TO EXCEED $2,000.00; PROVIDING PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION HEREOF; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Motion was seconded by Mr. Green. On call for a vote on the motion, the following votes were cast: Ayes: Hubacek, Green, Alemán, Casper, Murden Nayes: Rodriguez-Ross Absent: Smith Motion carried. (Ordinance No. 5227 recorded in Ordinance Book No. 136.)

This motion is scored as RESTRAINS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 7.0/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, voting YES on measures that cap or reduce ad valorem tax burdens, expand taxpayer exemptions, retire debt early, enforce competitive bidding caps, or remove regulatory/zoning barriers to private property rights earns a positive Pro-Liberty score.