Farmers living in the Dowagiac area may soon have a new place to pick up supplies and equipment.

The last of the major hurdles standing between the city and representatives with Tractor Supply Company were cleared Monday, as the Dowagiac Zoning Board Of Appeals convened for the first time in nearly seven years to grant a parking variance to the farming supply company, which seeks to build a new store in the city. With the decision, city officials will now only need to make several minor approvals before construction can start, said City Manager Kevin Anderson.

According to Steve Witte, project manager with one of the consulting firms for the project, store, planned at 19,097 square feet, will be located on Pokagon Street, opposite the Shopko retail store. Builders hope to begin construction in spring, with plans of opening before the end of the year, Witte said.

“It should be a nice addition to the commercial park and the retail side of the community,” Anderson said.

Developers for the project first presented plans to the Dowagiac Planning Commission last month, where they were told plans for the store’s parking lot, which called for 69 spaces, fell well short of the estimated 119 spaces required for the space under the city’s zoning ordinance. In response, the construction firm handling the project, DMK Development, requested a variance from the Zoning Board Of Appeals to have the site plan approved with the smaller lot.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Witte explained to the board that Tractor Supply Company stores appeal to a smaller market than most other retail outlets, and typically have less than half of their parking lots filled at any given time, with customers spending an average of 15 to 20 minutes in the store. There would only be a few times a year when the lot could near capacity, such as when 4-H clubs come out to visit, Witte said.

“We have room behind the store to provide additional parking, but we would be losing green space for no real benefit,” he said.

Based out of Brentwood, Tennessee, Tractor Supply Company is one of the country’s largest farm and rural retailers, with 1,500 stores, including one in Niles. Stores sell a variety of supplies and equipment, including tractors, lawn mowers, animal feed and gardening products.

The Daily News was unable to reach representatives from Tractor Supply Company for comment.