The Medina City Council Monday voted 5-0 to approve a historic use permit for the Medina Store.

The store, also known as the Green Store, is owned by Hae Lee, who sued the city for denying the permit last October. A Superior Court judge sided with Lee.

The council approved the permit as recommended by the Planning Commission, which authorizes office uses upstairs and in the back portion of the main level. The council did modify the precise office uses to be allowed by crafting language that restricts high traffic customer service “walk-in” office uses, but encourages administrative office uses that operate more on an appointment basis including accountants, architects, attorneys, etc.

“Despite concerns with the modified uses, Mrs. Lee intends to move forward to open the store this spring and to lease a portion of the building for office uses as soon as possible,” said Charlie Klinge, Lee’s attorney.

Lee has been attempting to open a new store for almost eight years. In 2000, she learned that the original 1910 building had deteriorated too far to be saved and needed to be rebuilt. Lee worked with an architect to create a new building that would look as much like the old as possible.

The city rejected her permit because the land was residentially zoned even though the store had been in that location since 1910 — decades before city incorporation. The city then created a new historic use zoning to allow rebuilding of the store. Some residents attacked the application and the city added conditions including restrictions on the uses allowed in the second floor and mandatory closure on holidays.