CLERMONT, Fla. – Clermont will consider easing some restrictions to increase security and storage space that would allow Walmart to bring a drone delivery service to the area.
The company wants to build an 8-foot fence around the site, but the current city code only allows a 6-foot fence. During Tuesday’s city council meeting, the company is asking for two variances from the Land Development Code to support the implementation of a new drone delivery service at the existing Walmart Supercenter at 1450 Johns Lake Road.
According to the agenda, the requested changes are to allow for a fence to be more than 6 feet in a commercial district and to allow for a shipping container to be used for a drone delivery service for a longer time period allowed under a temporary structure permit.
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The staff report explains that Walmart is “proposing to expand services at this location by introducing a drone-based delivery system, which would be the first fully operational Walmart drone delivery hub in the State of Florida.”
City staff told News 6 that it supports Walmart’s request to allow for a larger fence and recommends the city council approve it, which would give Walmart a year to build it.
Still, Walmart said it has not finalized which stores it will be expanding drone delivery to in the Orlando area, a move it announced last summer.
“Walmart and Wing announced drone delivery expansion to Orlando in June. Potential locations are being evaluated, and Walmart and Wing have begun engaging local government officials across the metro area as part of that process. Walmart hasn’t finalized the stores where the service will be offered yet, but we do hope to have more to share soon,” a Walmart spokesperson told News 6.
Customers have mixed reactions to the drone delivery service.
“It feels like the future, honestly, like straight out of a movie,” Manny Romero said.
Another shopper said he likely will not use it if it does come to the area.
“It’s fine, but me personally, I think I’ll just go get my own groceries,” Tyree said.
Walmart plans to reach customers within six miles of the store, offering convenience by delivering crucial items within 30 minutes.
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Some of the most frequently delivered items include fresh fruit, eggs, ice cream and pet food.
The service operates through the Wing app, a drone delivery platform Walmart uses.
“I thought it would take at least like a couple hours to get everybody in town. But let’s see if they live up to that,” Romero said.
However, not everyone supports the service.
“I probably would not use it at all. Only because of the fact that as most people would wind up using it and you’d have a lot of drones in the air, you have quite a bit of traffic, and I would not want something to malfunction and fall hit me in the head,” Russell Montevechi said.
“I mean, what’s wrong with just paying someone to deliver it if you need it delivered? It’s just more stuff that they’re just taking jobs away from people, and they’re pushing it as, ‘oh, convenience, convenience, convenience.’”
The Clermont City Council will consider the request during its meeting Tuesday at 3 p.m.