Belvedere shelves rules for drone deliveries after resident backlash

Belvedere has temporarily shelved its proposed rules for commercial drone deliveries and plans to work out an approach with other Marin towns and cities after weeks of resident opposition that included calls for an outright ban.

Mayor Sally Wilkinson pulled the ordinance’s second reading, the vote that would have adopted it, at the start of the City Council’s Oct. 12 meeting. The council took public comment on the item but did not discuss it or vote. No date has been set for its return, though Wilkinson said at the meeting it would come back “at some point.”

After reviewing a first draft July 13 and sending it back for revisions, councilmembers narrowly approved the revised ordinance on first reading 3-2 on Sept. 14, with Councilmembers Jane Cooper and Pat Carapiet opposed over its delivery hours. That set up the adoption vote last week.

Wilkinson explained the decision in a statement she wrote for the city’s Oct. 16 Belvedere Breeze newsletter.

“The city’s authority is largely limited to ground operations, and we don’t want to promise protections we cannot legally deliver,” she said. “We’re now exploring a regional approach with other Marin communities and look forward to continuing the conversation with residents as we learn more about this emerging industry.”

Read the complete story in our e-edition, or SUBSCRIBE NOW for home delivery and access to the digital replica.

Comment on this article on Nextdoor.