Hamburgers, hot dogs, various other sandwiches, soups and salads would be served, along with a daily special such as spaghetti or red beans and rice. The City Mission came to St. Petersburg about a year ago, taking over a failing mission and beginning a street ministry. The mission, whose parent organization has operated for 50 years in Los Angeles, has twice been turned down by the city in attempts to establish homeless shelters. Last month, the city's development services department rejected Greer's request to open the restaurant, saying that the proposed use was more of a social service agency than a restaurant. Greer is appealing the decision to the Board of Adjustment on Dec. 18.
Neighbors hope the restaurant plan is blocked again.
We've got plenty of them in the area. We're against having so many you become the social service center of the city. He said he sometimes sees people sleeping in alleys and in a small, neighborhood park. Frank Ranieri lives behind the proposed restaurant site. He has two children and says many other youngsters live in the neighborhood.