One company drops 5G tower proposal in Naples, another pushes on

Better and faster cell service could be coming to Naples, but the only way to get it is to install new 5G towers.

There are five applications for permits to put up towers around Naples, but some fear the towers will ruin the character and charm of the city.

There was a victory for those who didn’t want these 5G cell devices scattered around Naples’s 3rd Street South district.

“Those things look like something from Star Wars. Everybody who comes here for vacation or a holiday or just to visit relatives or friends all say the same thing: they love the botanical beauty of Naples,” said Forrest from Naples.

Now, 3rd Street South will stay that way. The company that builds the towers, Crown Castle, pulled its application after a lot of opposition from the Neopolitan Group, which owns much of 3rd Street South.

“They did not provide any explanation as to why they withdrew those applications,” said Alison Bickett, a traffic engineer with the City of Naples.

Now, the city is trying to figure out what to do about five more cell tower applications from Verizon Wireless.

They’d be 35 feet tall and peppered throughout Naples.

Three on Gulfshore Blvd. and two others at the Commons and 9th Street North. They would provide 4G with the capability to go to 5G when necessary.

“We try to be the best community servant that we can, we are trying to bring in what we consider our latest and greatest technology,” said Carrie Burrows with Verizon.

While some worry about the look of these towers, the fact that many people depend on their phones can not be ignored.

“I don’t care how unattractive. It’s a 21st-century necessity,” said Josh from Naples.

City leaders still aren’t quite sure of that. They say they need more information and will revisit the issue in June or this fall.

Crown Castle said it would continue to work with the city to find solutions in the 3rd Street South area, meaning the company could reapply to build towers there.