Select Board votes 5-0 to finalize drone bylaw
The Westborough Select Board voted 5-0 to send a drone-regulation bylaw toward Town Meeting as Article 34.
Select Board · Meeting of October 15, 2026
WESTBOROUGH — The Westborough Select Board voted 5-0 to send a drone-regulation bylaw toward Town Meeting as Article 34. Town Manager Christy Williams spent two hours walking members through a 14-section draft restricting commercial drone staging, launch and delivery sites, after Town Counsel flagged several provisions as possibly preempted by federal law or too close to zoning. Members stripped a specific noise-decibel standard and trimmed privacy language rather than risk an attorney general rejection of the whole bylaw.
One member warned a $300 fine "wouldn't care" Amazon, pushing for escalating per-offense penalties instead. The board separately voted to send a letter backing the congressional delegation's October 14 request that the FAA and Amazon conduct a site-specific environmental review, with a response due October 29. Residents Bob Stamm and a speaker identified as Rajenay addressed the board during open forum, with Stamm pressing unsuccessfully for a map of excluded drone airspace near Westborough.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,424 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of October 15, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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