While some believe local governments control which businesses open, city and village officials say their role is limited to compliance with zoning laws and ordinances.
A majority of respondents to an Intelligencer poll supported chain businesses moving to Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. Of 104 respondents, 51% said they supported an increased presence of chain businesses, 37.5% said they did not and 11.5% had mixed or conditional views.
Some respondents seemed to believe city and village officials choose which businesses open in developments such as Orchard Town Center or Edwardsville Marketplace, both located on Troy Road…