IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR WESTBOROUGH RESIDENTS FROM MASS BLUE SKIES | Posted Friday, October 2, 2026

Mark Your Calendars: Special Town Meeting, Monday, October 19, 2026, 7:00 PM, Westborough High School, 90 West Main Street

The Town of Westborough is holding a Special Town Meeting at 7:00 PM at Westborough High School. Town Meeting is where registered Westborough voters consider and vote on articles placed before the community.

At the October 1, 2026 Select Board Meeting, a proposed bylaw relating to commercial drone operations was placed on the Warrant as Article 8, and will be presented for a vote at Special Town Meeting on Monday, October 19, 2026. We hope to share the exact article and language when the Town publishes the updated warrant.

Why This Matters

The proposed Amazon Prime Air facility at 64 Otis Street has raised broader questions about how commercial drone delivery should be reviewed, regulated, and managed at the local level, including:

• Noise and the impact of repeated flights over residential areas

• Appropriate operating hours and flight frequency

• Impacts on residents living closest to the proposed facility

• The appropriate local review process for commercial drone launch facilities

• Westborough’s authority over land use and operations originating from a site within town

• What standards and regulations should apply as commercial drone delivery expands to additional operators and locations

Some aspects of drone operations are governed by the Federal Aviation Administration. At the same time, the local government retains responsibilities involving matters such as zoning and land use. Determining where those authorities intersect is an important part of the discussion now taking place in Westborough.

The Amazon Prime Air proposal is now moving through several processes, involving, most notably, the Zoning Board of Appeals. These proceedings are distinct from Town Meeting and may address different legal and land-use questions.

We will continue to share updates as information becomes available.