New Holiday Convenience Store Moves Forward

A plan to rebuild the Holiday convenience store located near Lake Bemidji’s South Shore moved forward Thursday night by the Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Commission.

Holdiay Superstores Inc. submitted their proposed project to the commission, where their plan is to tear down the current convenience and gas store at 1106 Paul Bunyan Dr. S and replace it with a smaller structure. To move ahead with the project, Holiday requested a conditional use permit and three variances to alter the property. The variances included placing the side yard setback to 3 feet, rather than the 15 feet required, a tree reduction to 10 rather than the required 15 and an impervious surface space of 10 percent, down from the required 30 percent.

The Joint Planning Commission moved forward on the request by taking up the permit and the variances separately. Unanimously, All four motions were approved for the permit and variances. A final decision will come when the Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board meets June 8.