A state lawmaker says any plan to add a drone launching site at the Trump Arch would first require a safety study, a condition that signals the proposal faces regulatory scrutiny before operations could begin near the attraction.

The lawmaker's position establishes a concrete procedural hurdle: no drone launching infrastructure can be installed at the site until an assessment of the safety implications is completed. That study would examine how unmanned aircraft operations interact with visitors, nearby traffic and surrounding airspace at the arch location.

The requirement reflects the layered oversight that governs commercial and public drone operations in the United States. Launch sites tied to landmarks and public attractions typically draw review from aviation regulators and local authorities, because takeoff and landing zones concentrate aircraft activity in areas with high pedestrian exposure.

For the project's backers, the safety study represents both a timeline constraint and a cost item. Commissioning the assessment, coordinating with regulators and implementing any mitigation measures the review identifies would precede any revenue-generating or operational use of the site.

The lawmaker's statement does not reject the concept outright. Instead, it frames the drone launching site as conditional — achievable if the study demonstrates that operations can be conducted without unacceptable risk to the public and the site itself.

What remains undefined is the scope of the proposed operation: the type of drones involved, the frequency of launches and whether the site would serve commercial, recreational or promotional purposes. Those variables would shape both the depth of the safety review and the operational restrictions ultimately imposed.

The next step, if the proposal advances, is commissioning the safety study. Until that review concludes, no drone launching site can move forward at the Trump Arch.