BATAVIA – After almost a year of scrutiny, the proposal to tear down and rebuild the Walgreens store in downtown Batavia has cleared its first hurdle at City Hall.

The Batavia Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday recommended the Batavia City Council approve several zoning variances that would allow developer Batavia Enterprises and retailer Walgreens to reduce parking spaces required for the new store, and to allow the developer to construct the new building away from Wilson Street.

“This is the first hurdle this project needed to get over,” said Batavia Community Development Director Scott Buening. “But it’s a big hurdle.”