By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – An effort is underway to recall the alderwoman in St. Louis' 15th ward.
Jennifer Florida is being targeted over her support for a McDonald's planned move from one side of South Grand Avenue to the other.
Some homeowners near the proposed site complain that a fast-food restaurant near their property will worsen traffic and noise problems.
Jeffrey Fraction is working to collect signatures for a recall election. "It's obvious that she doesn't care about the residents who live here because we were never notified about anything," Fraction said. "In talking with my other neighbors none of ever heard about meetings that were going on. None of us was told about a fast-food restaurant being in the back of us or anything like that."
But Florida says it's up to the Board of Adjustment whether the McDonald's can build there.
"Really this is out of my hands," Florida said. "Either they're going to be able to build a McDonald's or they're not. I simply tried to leverage as much investment in the community based on the fact that McDonald's wanted to move across the street and I didn't want them to leave us with a vacant McDonald's and what are we going to do with that."
The alderwoman says residential housing is planned behind the proposed McDonald's with senior housing and a commercial storefront on the old site.
She adds that people outside of her ward are involved in the recall effort.
Fraction says residents in other wards are concerned an unwanted business could move in next to them.
In order for a recall election to occur a little more than 1,400 signatures are needed from people who live in Florida's ward.
That represents 20% of registered voters at the time of the last mayoral election.