Amazon unveils ‘Prime Air’ drone delivery service in Hazel Park

HAZEL PARK — Amazon will soon begin offering deliveries by drone, flying packages straight to the homes of customers who live within an 8-mile radius of the company’s Hazel Park distribution center at the corner of 10 Mile and Dequindre roads.

The shipping option, dubbed Prime Air, will only be available for certain goods. It is being marketed as a convenient way to get last-minute items without a trip to the store. But some are concerned about the safety of flying packages over traffic and homes, the noise it might create and whether it violates the privacy of homeowners.

To address any concerns, Amazon held a public event Nov. 20 at the Hazel Park Community Center, 620 W. Woodward Heights Blvd. The event allowed guests to see the MK30 drone up close, learn about how its one-hour delivery service works, and meet the team members who operate it.

Gordy Dalziel lives in Royal Oak, which is within range of the drones. Dalziel described how he had previously seen an Amazon drone making a delivery in Berkley, in what he believes was a test run.

“It was pretty noisy, which is how we noticed it, but it was fast — it took maybe five minutes once we saw it to drop off its package, and then it was gone. It hovered for a moment and took off,” he said. “When you see how it cuts over the houses and it’s gone so quickly, you can see the efficiency of not being on the roads making those deliveries.”

After the event in Hazel Park, he said he still has some concerns, such as whether the drones will work in all weather conditions, or whether they could violate people’s privacy.

“If you want it delivered in your backyard, to avoid porch pirates, (the drone) might come in with the camera when you’re not expecting it, and you might be doing something where it invades your privacy,” Dalziel said. “So, I can see pluses and minuses. There might be some kinks for them to work out.”

Hazel Park Mayor Mike Webb is also taking a wait-and-see approach.

“For now, I’m reserving my judgment regarding the outcome of the future of this project,” Webb said. “As a parent and homeowner, I understand a lot of people are going to have apprehensive moments about anything new like this. We’ve been able to bring in new corporations (at the Tri-County Commerce Center), and Amazon is one of them. They’re a big employer in our town, and now they’re expanding. Hopefully it’s for the better, but time will tell.”

According to Sharyn Ghacham, a representative for Amazon, customers will see whether a product is eligible for drone delivery upon checkout. Customers select and confirm a preferred delivery spot at their address, such as in a driveway or yard. Once it arrives, the drone descends to about 13 feet from the ground — low enough to safely deliver the item. It also scans the ground to make sure it’s clear of people, pets or cars before dropping the item.   

Prime Air delivers packages that weigh less than 5 pounds and fit within the drone’s delivery box, which measures 15-by-8-by-5 inches. Eligible items include household products, beauty products, office supplies, some electronics and more. The service promises delivery within 60 minutes of the order being placed. The shipping cost is $4.99 per drone delivery for Prime members and $9.99 per drone for non-Prime members.

“You could wake up in the morning, realize you’re out of coffee, and if you don’t feel like leaving your house to run to the store, this drone comes to you and arrives in your backyard with the coffee like 20 minutes later,” Ghacham said.

The drone itself has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and features advanced technology for detecting and avoiding obstacles. Ghacham also said that the drone is “quieter than a vacuum (cleaner) upon delivery,” faster than traditional delivery and that it helps reduce road congestion.

Hazel Park City Councilman Luke Londo said he was originally against the drone delivery service.

“I was inherently skeptical and leaning ‘no.’ I was worried about the noise concerns and weight concerns and frequency of packages being delivered and what kind of data aggregation was going on at any given moment,” Londo said. “I had many legitimate concerns, not only as a council member but as someone who lives in this city who will be impacted by these drones. I was curious how it would affect my quality of life.”

He said he is more positive about the program now, after he and his fellow council members Alissa Sullivan and Andrea Washington went on a fact-finding mission in September, visiting an Amazon drone facility near Phoenix.

“They did an exemplary job not only dispelling my concerns but really conveying how well-researched and well thought out this is,” Londo said. “This is a program that Amazon has been thinking about for well over a decade. They’ve been very thoughtful and deliberate to make sure they’re minimizing the impact as much as possible.”

Londo recalled how he raised the concern about being a frequent buyer who might ship items on a regular basis, and whether that would inconvenience homes along the flight path to his house.

To his surprise, Amazon had already worked out this scenario, with a system in place for detecting what it calls “high-frequency buyers,” changing up routes between deliveries so that the drones don’t always fly past the same homes.

“I was also worried about the weight limit, but these packages don’t weigh much, and the drones can handle significantly more weight than what they’re carrying,” Londo said. “And when I asked who the clients would be, I was told what they’re seeing are people who only need the occasional small item, like a prescription or batteries — things they’d otherwise get in their car to drive to a hardware store or grocery store or pharmacy. It’s just saving a trip.”

The councilman said he appreciated Amazon taking the time to speak to the community at its event.

“I don’t want constituents to think this was a fast-paced aggressive campaign without concern for our residents in mind,” Londo said. “So, the fact (Amazon) is engaging in opportunities like this open house really shows they’re deeply invested in our community, making sure everyone is comfortable with what they’re doing.”

At press time, a start date for the delivery service had not been finalized.