Nixa residents oppose taproom, drive‑through at Tracker and Oldcastle; council to vote Aug. 26

NIXA, Mo. — Planning staff recommended approval Monday of a special‑use permit that would allow a taproom (described in the staff report as a “bar with restaurant”) and a restaurant with drive‑through on a 3‑acre neighborhood commercial parcel at Tracker Road and Oldcastle Road, but the proposal has drawn sustained opposition from residents living within walking distance and a 4–2 vote against the permit by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The City Council opened a public hearing and will take a final vote at its Aug. 26 meeting.

The proposal — presented by Scott Gabbi, Nixa’s planning and development director — would allow a mixed‑use building configured for up to four tenants with the primary tenant described as a cidery or taproom. Staff said the special‑use permit would let the city add development conditions tailored to the residential context, including a 45‑foot building setback on the two street frontages, a 15‑foot landscaping buffer, a maximum freestanding sign height of 6 feet (no backlit signage above that), a prohibition on generator use for ancillary services, an end to amplified outdoor sound at…