Sen. Ed Markey and challenger John Deaton met last night for the only scheduled debate of their general election race. WBUR's Anthony Brooks has a recap here. (It was a busy day of debates, with faceoffs in the Massachusetts lieutenant governor's race and Maine Senate race, too.) Now, to today's news: Drone turbulence: Several members of Massachusetts' congressional delegation are pushing Amazon to pause plans to deliver packages by drone in the parts of the MetroWest area. In a letter Wednesday to the retail giant and the FAA, Markey and Reps. Jim McGovern and Lori Trahan called for more study and public feedback before any drone deliveries take off. "We can’t let Amazon treat our skies like a testing ground for its drone delivery ambitions," Markey told WBUR in a statement. - Catch up: As WBUR's Stephanie Brown and Lisa Mullins recently reported, Amazon has been hoping to launch its "Prime Air" drone delivery across a 7.5-mile radius from its Westborough distribution center by the end of the year. The 80-pound drones — which can fly up to 74 mph — would be able to deliver packages up to 5 pounds to Shrewsbury, Northborough, and parts of Grafton, Worcester, Sutton and Southborough. The program would be the first of its kind in New England.
- Zoom out: The FAA issued a ruling this summer paving the way for drone deliveries across the country, after conducting environmental assessments in 23 states. However, none of those states were in New England. And Massachusetts is one of 15 states suing the FAA over the decision. In the letter Wednesday, the three Democrats pointed to Westborough's "dense historic town center" and "the region’s biological and environmental diversity" as reasons for a site-specific review. "Finally, the weather and daylight conditions in Massachusetts — two conditions relevant to drone operations — are almost certainly different from those found in places like Arizona or Texas," the letter said.
- Zoom in: Amazon still needs sign-off from Westborough's planning board for a drone launch pad at its distribution center. Town residents and elected officials have voiced overwhelming opposition to the drone plan, though it's unclear if they have legal grounds to block it. Still, Markey, McGovern and Trahan said the local backlash is another reason for a more local review. "From noise pollution to fire risks, communities have plenty of reasons to question Big Tech’s plan to fill their skies with drones," Markey said. The letter requests a response from Amazon and the FAA by Oct. 29.
Breaking ground in Braintree: Logan Airport's second remote terminal is scheduled to open in Braintree "toward the end of" 2029, according to Massport CEO Rich Davey. As WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports, construction kicked off yesterday on a new Logan Express parking garage in Braintree. It include a space where passengers can check in and go through security before taking a bus that drops them off gate-side at Logan — just like the popular pilot that launched in Framingham in June . "I didn't, frankly, anticipate how successful it was going to be," Davey said. "We've had other airports come up and visit us ... I think you might start to see this in other parts of the aviation world in the United States in the coming years." - FYI: Davey said Braintree will be the first "permanent" remote terminal in the country. But that doesn't mean the Framingham experiment is winding down anytime soon. The pilot was extended until March 2027. " I fully expect we'll extend it beyond that," Davey said.
Heads up: Starting today, landlords in Somerville have to give their tenants notice if they put their property up for sale. The new ordinance requires renters be notified in writing within 48 hours of their residence hitting the market. - Why? The measure doesn't go quite as far as the statewide proposal being considered on Beacon Hill that would require renters get a chance to buy the property. But Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen said it's a "tool in the toolbox" to help tenants getting priced out of Somerville. " As just a basic act of fairness, they should know so that they can plan for the future," Ewen-Campen told WBUR's Amy Sokolow.
Location, location: The Sports Bra, a national chain of sports bars dedicated exclusively to showing women's sports, announced the location yesterday of its planned Boston spot: 2 Broad St. Situated just around the corner from Faneuil Hall, the 3,243-square-foot space is the former home of Tiki Rock. - The opening date is still TBD, but a window wrapping on the door teases "Fall 2026."
P.S.— We offered up a lot of Boston-themed costume ideas over the years. Now, it's your turn. With Halloween just over two weeks away, we want to hear your best Boston costumes. Share your most creative creations via this form by Oct. 20 and they could be included in a roundup coming up later this month. |
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