Highland Village might soon follow in Lewisville’s footsteps by allowing Walmart to use drones to deliver orders to local customers.
City Council discussed plans with city staff, drone delivery operator Wing and a Walmart representative to amend a City ordinance, allowing Walmart to use drone delivery under a conditional use permit.
Under the ordinance, drone delivery would be administratively allowed for restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores and warehouse distribution centers if it fits the city ordinance’s requirements.
According to Highland Village’s City Attorney Kevin Laughlin, staff saw Walmart’s application as a time to amend the ordinance to get ahead of the drone delivery boom.
“This is going to be the trend towards delivery,” he said. “The thought process of staff and I was to try to move toward the technology faster if that’s where the trends are going while trying to balance the interest of the public.”
While Walmart is the initial applicant, the ordinance could invite a multitude of other businesses to do the same.
Council member Robert Fiester said he believes the ordinance, as it is currently written, could open up a can of worms for drone delivery that would overwhelm the city.
“So, the whole [FM] 407 corridor could have a drone operation of their own and it’s going to be administratively approved assuming they comply with the three requirements,” he said. “I could see almost every business wanting to get into the drone delivery business. One is fine, but when [everyone] does it, I’m concerned it’s a Pandora’s box.”
Council decided to defer a decision on Walmart’s application until council and staff addressed some concerns brought up during the first reading of the application at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Based on those discussions, council had many concerns with the initial plan, including noise pollution, air traffic, resident privacy and possible light pollution.
Ryan Trimble of Allyn Media represented Walmart at the meeting and said the company would be willing to work with the city to make the plan happen.
“We’re proud to be part of this community and continue to serve you and your residents,” he said. “We know what y’all expect here in Highland Village, so I wanted to reiterate that we’re committed to working with y’all and getting this right.”
According to Wing representative Josh Bucci, the drone delivery business has been very successful at many North Texas locations, including the program launched in 2023 at the Walmart in Lewisville.
“I don’t oppose, I’ve tried the one in Lewisville twice,” said Mayor Charlotte Wilcox. “These items that have been brought up tonight, I don’t personally think we could pass this as it is written.”
In 2024, Walmart in Denton also launched a drone delivery service.
Trimble said the Lewisville operation with Wing has been very successful.
“What we’re seeing across the metroplex is that a lot of people really like this service,” said Trimble. “It takes a minute for people to understand what’s going on, but when they do, they’re really enjoying it – especially seniors since they don’t have to get out of their house.”
According to Bucci, Wing’s current drones weigh 12 pounds and can carry two pounds, but they recently got approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for 20-pound drones that can carry five pounds.
Bucci addressed resident concerns about the low-resolution, black and white, downward facing cameras on each drone.
He said there is no live feed, no audio, the images are not stored and no one has access to the images, it is only used by the drone to identify areas to land.
According to Wing, when the drones cruise at its lowest altitude, about 165 feet, it is “quieter than a kitchen microwave, if heard at all.”
In December 2025, Highland Village’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the ordinance to City Council.
Council opted to defer the item to a future meeting, but did not offer a specific date for when council would return to make a decision.
