Government
BY ISABELLA ZEFF
Amazon drone facility will not be rezoned Richardson City Council will not pursue a rezoning of Amazon’s drone delivery facility, citing legal risks, City Manager Don Magner said. The gist Council approved a zoning change in June 2025 to allow Amazon to o er drone deliver- ies within a 7.5-mile radius of its Richardson facility on Research Drive. Since the drone program launched in early December, residents have shared concerns about the noise, frequency and height of the drones. Magner said he hopes the clarity around Amazon’s zoning rights will encourage the company to continue working with the city to introduce adjustments to the drone program.
Fire Department sees calls increase in 2025 Richardson Fire Department saw an increase in calls for re and emergency medical services in 2025, as well as a slight decrease in structure res, Fire Chief Curtis Poovey reported to City Council on April 13. In his annual report, Poovey said 2025 was a “busy year,” with the department seeing an
increase in re and EMS calls as well as unit responses. The overview A little over 75% of the department’s 16,060 calls were for EMS, Poovey said. Richardson saw 60 structure res across the city, a slight decrease from last year, Poovey said. The re department also carried out 43 inves- tigations and made nine arrests last year, Poovey said, including a “serial arsonist” who they found had been responsible for res in six di erent cities.
Richardson Fire Department calls, 2016 2025 Richardson Fire Department has seen an increase in calls for re and emergency medical services over the last several years.
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SOURCE: CITY OF RICHARDSON COMMUNITY IMPACT
City zoning, ag updates on track
$3.33 million for street, alley repair approved
Several neighborhoods in southeast Richardson are set to receive street and alley repairs this year after City Council approved $3.33 million in construction contracts March 23. The details Council approved contracts with R&A Legacy Construction for $1.17 million in alley rehabilita- tion and $2.16 million in street rehabilitation in southeast Richardson neighborhoods. Richardson’s Engineering Capital Projects Department administers street and alley rehabil- itation annually, selecting speci c neighborhood zones to focus on each year. Over 11,000 square yards of deteriorated alley pavement and 21,300 square yards of neighbor- hood street pavement are set to be removed and replaced in southeast Richardson. If the budget allows, additional street and alley repair in other areas of the city may be added to the project, according to city documents. What’s next Construction is expected to start this spring and be completed by spring 2027. City o cials are also considering a new asphalt overlay program for street repairs in the future,
2026 Alley rehabilitation Street projects
Andrew Bogda, Richardson’s assistant director of development services, presented updates to zoning protest criteria, housing occupancy restrictions, and ag and agpole regulations to council April 6. Bogda said the changes are routine updates as a result of new statewide legislation adopted by the Texas Legislature last year. Breaking it down Richardson will increase the threshold of property owners objections needed to trig- ger a supermajority vote in a rezoning case from 20% of a subject property to 60% in residential cases. Bogda said the legislation aims to facilitate the development of more residential housing. The city will also introduce regulations capping agpoles at a 25-foot maximum height in residential districts and a 40-foot maximum height in nonresidential districts.
APOLLO RD.
HIDDEN DR.
E. BELT LINE RD.
E. SPRING VALLEY RD.
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RICHLAND PARK DR.
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which would aim to extend the life of repaired streets by “at least a decade,” Assistant City Manager Charles Go said. Go recommended the city wait a few years before considering implementation.
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RICHARDSON EDITION
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