Comments on: ‘Full Speed Ahead’ – Growth and Infrastructure Concerns Dominate District 5 Q&A Session

By: Voices in Pensacola

Voices in Pensacola — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:59:47 +0000

Advice to a rural area undergoing urbanization pressures:

1. You are VERY correct about highway capacity concerns. FDOT and counties generally respond to highway capacity and safety issues after capacity and safety has already been compromised. Service roads, controlled access points, signal timing and coordination… all of these are valid points. They need to be in place BEFORE or AT THE TIME of development, not afterwards once right-of-way becomes difficult or cost prohibitive to obtain.

2. No one is mentioning large regional parks, recreation (including fishing and hunting areas), green space, and ecological function (uplands and wetlands). Now is the time to begin identifying corridors and parcels that need to be protected in perpetuity. The corridor of the Perdido River and Pine Barren Creek and tributaries will become fragmented if development takes hold. These creeks will become stormwater chutes of developments. The state and county, along with entities like the Nature Conservancy and land trusts, need to be working towards long-term, large-scale reserves that are off limits to development.

I do not think you can stop the development from coming. But, you can plan ahead.

By: @ L C

@ L C — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:39:17 +0000

Welcome to progress….. Pay your taxes and smile

By: L C

L C — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:16:17 +0000

FDOT should be involved in EVERY county commission meeting. This area has grown so much, but constantly working on I10 is not correcting all of the issues. If there is no money to expand the roads, the subdivisions need to halt, until there are better roads. You keep allowing these subdivisions, yet there is nothing done about how to get all of these extra people out of the neighborhood and onto the highway. I10 east is a nightmare from the entrance at 9 mile all the way until you pass Davis Hwy exit. It is like this every single day of the week. People drive horrible, rushing through construction zones, it’s like a race at Five Flags on most days. Until construction is completed I recommend LEAVING EARLIER, and just relaxing as you sit in traffic.
The road widening should happen PRIOR TO shoving more and more drivers in these areas.

By: Bonnie Exner

Bonnie Exner — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:15:32 +0000

A couple of facts need to be shared…the BOCC representatives each appointment citizen to be on the Building and ZONING BOARD and they are strictly voluntary ( no salary)… the #1 campaign contributors for the commissioners are developers/ builders so that is why the commissioners are so chummy with the developers/ builders…and the county commissioners part- time job salary( $100,000+) set by the state is computed by the TOTAL POPULATION OF THE COUNTY, therefore more residents equal a higher salary..My Mantra has been..GROWTH IS INEVITABLE..ALL WE WANT IS CONTROLLED GROWTH WITH INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO HANDLE THAT GROWTH

By: Jackson

Jackson — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:52:23 +0000

The whole face that Barry wasnt there speaks volumes. He cares nothing about the people but yall keep voting him in. Why? Just like when he was putting signs out for relection. He was told he could put one. He put three on out property. Whats that tell you.

By: Shirley Hales

Shirley Hales — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:33:35 +0000

I wish Molino was still like it was when I grew up there, everyone knew everyone, very little traffic. People in Pensacola and surrounding area thought Molino was a “dump”in the road, now it seems a lot of these people want to build here, and come live in this p“Dump” Leave the people in Molino alone and and go back to the “City”

By: Luigi

Luigi — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:35:35 +0000

Once again all talk and no real solutions to grow in construction without upgrade to infra structures (roads , sidewalks , ems , Leo’s , schools etc .) Our elected officials are just keeping the status quo and getting re-elected. Even if they don’t attend the meeting (Barry and others) they are aware nobody is going to challenge them . Time to reconsider them all at time of re-election , increasing taxes, fees , and facing the tax payers with no solutions .

By: Johnny Greene

Johnny Greene — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:33:54 +0000

I agree with the comment, “they should have extended 110, 30 years ago. I would have helped….now here we are.

By: SW

SW — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:48:40 +0000

@D Ward

You are right.

The BOCC needs to re-district and add another commissioner for D5 (maybe from Molino north); then add an at-large commissioner (maybe the chairman) to keep it an odd number.

Of course, is it better they forget about us in Pensacola or not?

By: Just listening

Just listening — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:47:38 +0000

We have got to face it folks—-Florida is starting to bulge and Escambia County has no room to grow except northward. I am here to tell you it is doing just that. Compared to 25-30 years ago. I travel Hwy 29 almost daily and see more and more subdivisions being developed and more businesses opening up. Traffic is getting thicker and thicker especially from Hwy 97 southward but has increased substantially north of Hwy 97. Infrastructure has no way kept up with growth.
Interstate I110 should have been extended north through Escambia County Florida and Escambia county Alabama 30 years ago when it was a twinkle in the eye. Public water works has our county pretty well covered but is falling behind with growth rapidly. Our county should have sewer systems through out already and planned sufficient for growth for housing and businesses. All the utilities should keep in mind that costly tap fees to curb growth is not the way to go. I fact in all honesty taps should be free because that is a customer for life looking at it as the power companies have.
Just saying