Winter Park floats idea of regulating drones

What can Winter Park do to control the skies?

Winter Park City Commissioners briefly discussed a flying nuisance at the end of their meeting on May 9 in response to an email sent by Valerie Seidel, wife of Commissioner Greg Seidel.

Valerie wrote to the City Commission that she had recently been paddle boarding on Lake Virginia when she was harassed by a drone. It wasn’t until she threw a handful of seaweed at the device that it left her alone.

“She almost got hit by a drone and it came back at her,” Commissioner Seidel said during last week’s meeting.

Mayor Steve Leary instructed city staff to look into drones and how they’re regulated by Florida statues, while other Commissioners gave their on takes on the flying devices.

“I was at a concert Saturday night and there was a drone flying over and it made me very anxious, so I understand that,” Commissioner Sarah Sprinkel said.

Seidel told the Observer that he hopes to find a way to prevent drones from flying and taking pictures over private property, as well as not holding residents liable for damage done to a drone if it wanders where it isn’t supposed to be.

“I haven’t talked to anyone that’s told me they like it when a drone flies over their head,” Seidel said. “They just need to be regulated.”

“How big should your free space for drones be?”

City Spokesperson Clarissa Howard said there’s little the city can do to control drones, as that falls under the Federal Aviation Administration. The city can regulate them in relation to special events, but Winter Park isn’t actively looking into more rules and policies at this time, she said.

A similar case in Miami took place last year, where the city attempted to ban drones in certain areas. The city passed an ordinance last December that prevented them from flying within a half mile radius of stadiums, parks or venues during large events, according to the Daily Business Review. The ordinance also stated that drones weighing five pounds or less are not allowed to carry any kind of detachable cargo or payload, and that recreational flyers must fully indemnify the city for any liability during the flight.

The FAA requires all drones to be registered for safety and security reasons under federal law. Failing to register a drone could result in criminal penalties that include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years, according to the FAA website.

“We regulate noise,” Seidel said. “We regulate when you can party. We even regulate poets on the street. There ought to be some way we can regulate drones.”