Amazon picks Houston-area collegiate town to test drone service: 'We are impressed with so many aspects of College Station'

Online retail giant Amazon has enlisted the City of College Station among the first places in the country where it’ll test its Prime Air drone delivery system, Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported citing the website CultureMap.

According to the report, Amazon said that customers in College Station, which is home to Texas A&M University (TAMU), were informed about receiving free and fast drone delivery on thousands of everyday items beginning later this year.

CultureMap reported that College Station caught the eye of Amazon in several ways.

"We are impressed with so many aspects of College Station," the company said, per the online publication. "The innovative research conducted by Texas A&M University, the small-town feel and the sense of community that is clear from the minute you arrive in town all make it a very special place."

Bryan-College Station CBS affiliate KBTX reported that College Station city leaders voted unanimously to approve a zoning change on Thursday for an Amazon facility, which basically cleared the service called Amazon Prime Air for takeoff in Aggieland.

While the area’s Amazon customers welcomed the development, numerous residents expressed skepticism, per KBTX.

The College Station Fire Department (CSFD); however, assured the public that lithium batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) pose a bigger fire hazard compared to fires from drones, the station reported.

Citing an Amazon spokesperson, KBTX reported that the company will host events and meetings that’ll gather public input on the new service.

Exact locations in College Station where Amazon Prime Air will deliver are unknown as of press time.