By the end of the year, Amazon drones might be whizzing around the East Side, dropping off household necessities in less than 60 minutes. On June 5, San Antonio City Council greenlit the retail giant’s zoning request to convert part of its mammoth facility at 6806 Cal Turner Dr. to accommodate Prime Air deliveries.

In a somewhat contentious debate, a motion to continue the discussion in August was introduced by District 10’s Marc Whyte, with Mayor Ron Nirenberg stating there were more policy issues to consider before tackling zoning. District 2’s Jalen McKee-Rodriguez contended that his staff had addressed many of those issues through town halls and meetings with Amazon.

“We learned the drones would not be able to store any footage and cannot be used as surveillance,” said McKee-Rodriguez. “We also learned the service would be able to provide prescription delivery services, and this is an aging community …[and] a medical care desert.”

Amazon’s battery-powered drones will not replace human drivers. They are designed to swiftly deliver essentials like medications and cleaning products weighing five pounds or less. The dispatches are limited to one item within an approximately 7-mile radius of the warehouse.

Before making the drop, the drones will check for obstructions and send a notification to customers if there is no safe delivery space. The crafts will not fly at night or under severe weather conditions.

According to an earlier Amazon release, the 9,400-square-foot area in the Amazon building, commonly known as SAT3, will be outfitted with helipads and other necessary infrastructure. Although no firm date has been set for the launch of San Antonio's Prime Air service, the company stated that it aims for late 2025.