FRANKLIN—The city Planning Commission on Thursday approved the site plan for a proposed Tractor Supply Co. store on Armory Drive.

The City Council will make the final decision as the planning commission only recommends approval.

Tractor Supply wants to build a 19,000-square-foot store on 2.2 acres west of Farm Fresh with an outdoor fenced-in display area.

Donald Goodwin, the city’s community development director, said the new store would be the first project in the city’s newly designated enterprise zone.

“They’re looking to start construction as soon as possible,” Goodwin said. “Once they get their certificate of occupancy, the fees involved with site plan reviews and those things would be reimbursed.”

Areas of the city and Southampton County in December were granted an enterprise zone designation. The designation allows the state and localities to offer incentives to help entice companies to locate there.

According to its website, Tractor Supply, based in Brentwood, Tenn., is the largest retail farm and ranch store in the nation, operating more than 800 stores in 40 states. Its stores sell work clothes, animal and pet supplies, power tools, riding mowers, and lawn and garden products.

Tractor Supply also specializes in agricultural fencing and livestock equipment.

If constructed, the Franklin store would be the company’s second in the Hampton Roads region after Gloucester. Currently the nearest Tractor Supply is in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., where it occupies about half of a former Wal-Mart.