Richmond City Council on Tuesday voted against an idea to use drone shows rather than traditional fireworks during the annual Independence Day celebration, in part because drone shows are more expensive.
Richmond Councilmember Soheila Bana asked city staff to investigate the feasibility of using drones instead of fireworks at Richmond’s annual celebration. Fireworks cause both noise and air pollution and more cities are using drone shows as a more eco-friendly option, she says.
Bana also expressed concern about the use of rampant illegal fireworks throughout the city during the Fourth of July period. She proposed testing out a small drone show in the eastern part of the city, where homes are vulnerable to wildfires, to see if it could reduce the use of illegal fireworks in the area.
But some of her council colleagues, along with city staff, said drone shows are cost prohibitive, and they do not believe drones would have an impact on reducing illegal fireworks in the city.
“I’m not interested in paying a lot more money to switch over to drones when it doesn’t solve the problem [of illegal fireworks],” Councilmember Susan Wilson said.
At Tuesday’s meeting, city staff cited the cost of a lower-cost drone light show at $99,000 for 8 minutes. The price can rise to $300,000-$500,000 for higher-level 11-minute shows featuring additional drones, staff said. In comparison, the traditional fireworks show on the Richmond waterfront costs about $104,000.
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