A JOB ON THE LINE
PILOT REPORT
Sometimes, the best drone for a job is not a drone at all—at least that’s what I thought to myself when I first received this assignment. Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) are powerful tools, to be sure, but it is worth keeping in mind that sometimes an alternative is even better suited to the task.
In this case, I was once again in the employ of Wendie Kellington, a Portland-area attorney who specializes in land-use issues as well as drones and other autonomous systems. Her client was opening a new self-storage facility in the city of Hillsboro—and the legal question at hand pertained to a local ordinance.
According to the city’s rules, businesses are only allowed to display signage on the side of a building that faces the street listed as their address. I suppose that made a lot of sense when someone wrote it down on paper, but this example showed how it can easily be unfair and pose a burden on business owners.
The storage facility in question has its address on Imlay Avenue, a relatively minor side road off a main arterial:
