WILLMAR -- The Willmar Planning Commission has approved a conditional use permit for Heffron Properties of Willmar to establish a 30-unit hotel in the former Mr. B. Chocolatier building at 539 Pacific Ave. S.W.
Dale Heffron told the commission he is proposing to develop a contract, extended-stay hotel for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway employees who would stay at the hotel in between train work. Heffron said an antique store -- Old Towne Antiques -- will also be opening at the building.
In other business at the regular meeting Wednesday, the commission approved the plan review for a Pizza Ranch restaurant at 1600 Lakeland Drive S.E. The restaurant is proposed by Randy VanKlompenburg of Willmar.
The proposed 4,500-square-foot building will have a dining area of about 3,000 square feet and a kitchen area of about 1,500 square feet. The site will have parking spaces for 74 vehicles.
Also Wednesday, the commission approved the preliminary plat of Fairacre Addition, a proposed residential development of six lots on 12 acres located east of 15th Street Southwest and south of Richland Avenue. The property lies outside the city limits and is proposed for annexation.
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The developers, Don and Carol Williamson, will be required to devise a way to assess lots for future 15th Street improvements. Among the six lots in the preliminary plat are two corner lots, each with about 300 feet of frontage on 15th Street.
Under city assessment policy, only the address side of a property is assessed for street improvements, and the address sides of the six lots face inward toward a street with a cul-de-sac within the development.
The commission also:
- Voted to rezone a property owned by Leobardo Martinez at 201 Becker Ave. S.E. from high-density multiple family residential to limited business. Martinez requested the zoning change to let him operate an insurance business on the property.
- Approved a preliminary plat for Orvis Pattison of Willmar to subdivide a lot on Fifth Street Southeast behind Pattison's Kandi Entertainment Center.
- Approved a final plat for the Municipal Utilities Commission to construct a water pump station at 3010 Seventh Ave. N.W.
- Approved the plan review for a new business called Famous Davis, a Web design and software development company to be located at the MinnWest Technology Campus.
