Rolla council tables conditional-use request for driving range, asks staff to tighten conditions

The Rolla City Council on Sept. 3 voted to table consideration of a conditional‑use permit for a proposed golf driving range on Country Ridge Drive, saying the application and the draft conditions lack sufficient specificity about access, signage and which code provisions the council would be waiving.

Tom (staff member) summarized the application, saying the property sits at the end of Country Ridge Drive and the proposal is for a self‑service driving range with roughly 10 tee boxes and an 800–900‑foot depth. He said the applicant proposes to improve a gravel access road to meet fire access standards and to use existing tree lines for screening. Planning and Zoning recommended approval 6–0 with conditions that would include a three‑year expiration and limits on lighting and expansions.

Why it matters: Council members said the project sits on about 40 acres adjacent to planned residential development, and vague conditions could create inconsistency for future applicants and uncertainty for neighbors.

Council concerns and discussion

Council member William pressed staff for details and asked whether the use should be classified as a recreational/amusement use instead of an agricultural business. William said the site plan “has the bare minimum” and argued the ordinance should explicitly state which sections of the zoning code would be waived and how: “you say what you're taking an exception to, and then in what way you're making an exception to that specific requirement. So that everybody knows exactly what is being allowed or disallowed.”

Tom said the applicant opted to pursue the agricultural business classification to avoid rezoning and the risk of “spot zoning” because the parcel is largely residential and remote; he acknowledged the application is a “pretty rudimentary kind of development at this point.” Nathan (staff member) and other council members noted planning and zoning members had discussed potential impacts such as the need for nets if balls stray outside the range.

Motion to table and next steps

Council member William moved to table the item so staff can return with a rewritten ordinance that lists specific waivers and conditions. Jackson seconded the motion; the council voted in favor and the item was tabled to give staff time to add specificity, including explicit references to which sections of the code would be waived and what construction standards (for example, the International Fire Code Appendix D) would replace those requirements.

Ending

Council members said they are generally open to the concept but want clear, written conditions that protect both neighbors and the applicant; staff will prepare a revised conditional‑use document for the council to consider at the next scheduled meeting in October.