More 5G woes: Poles installed feet away from Pensacola resident's front door

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Another Pensacola resident is dealing with the frustrations of a 5G cell tower being installed right outside her home.

Channel 3 has reported on several poles going up in undesirable locations, but this one might be the most jarring.

The pole went up in September, and it's just feet away from Phyllis Bardin's front door.

"It's the first thing you see," Bardin said. "It's almost like an invasion, and it's an eyesore, and the equipment is not even up yet."

Bardin says she's contacted her city councilperson and the Mayor about the location of the pole but says her cries have gone unheard.

"They've been pretty much unresponsive to everything," Bardin said. "They say their hands are tied by state law and leave it at that."

From the start of the 5G rollout in Pensacola in 2019, Mayor Robinson has said the city's authority on regulating the placement of the 5G poles is limited.

This is due to Senate Bill 1000. This state law was signed by Governor DeSantis in June 2019. It prohibits local governments from enforcing ordinances or regulations that would prevent wireless companies from installing equipment.

But a group of East Hill residents wanted to find out if this is truly the case.

They hired New York telecommunications lawyer Andrew Campanelli to analyze the city's code of ordinances and offer recommendations for how Pensacola can have more authority over the 5G rollout.

Campanelli's 45-page analysis offers several recommended changes to the city's zoning laws, but some of these could conflict with the state's communication legislation.

"Unless your local governments can enact an ordinance where the local boards control where [the 5G poles] go, every day my phone rings and somebody wakes up and tells me there's a new cell facility 20 feet outside my daughter's bedroom window," Campanelli said.

Campanelli has handled thousands of telecommunications cases across the country but says the laws in Florida regarding wireless carriers are some of the most restricting.

"These laws serve no purpose other than to strip the power of local governments to protect their citizens against the irresponsible placement of these wireless facilities," Campanelli said.

Campanelli's ordinance analysis was sent to Pensacola City Council this week, but he says his biggest recommendation to residents facing this battle is to call their state legislator and request Senate Bill 1000 be repealed or amended.

You can find out if a 5G is coming to your neighborhood by clicking here.