Commission OKs indoor golf‑simulator entertainment use at 10 North Beach Street

The Oxford Planning Commission on Aug. 12 approved a conditional‑use request to open an indoor entertainment facility with golf simulator bays and an accessory bar at 10 North Beach Street, the site of the former Princess Theatre.

Architect Scott Webb, representing the business owners Tyler Storer and Jackson Trester, told the commission the proposal would occupy the ground floor of the mixed‑use building and install nine simulator bays plus a check‑in and small retail/waiting area. "We feel that this would certainly be part of the mix of uses anticipated by the UP district," Webb said.

Why it matters: The Uptown (UP) district allows a range of entertainment and assembly uses only with a conditional use approval because some indoor recreation facilities can generate large crowds, nighttime activity or traffic impacts. The proposed golf‑simulator facility is a participatory entertainment use rather than a spectator venue; commissioners and staff concluded the scale of the operation and its Uptown location make the impacts manageable under the city's standards.

Project details and conditions - Applicant/architect: Scott Webb. Property owner: Robroe Wood LLC (Robroe Myers). Business operators: Tyler Storer and Jackson Trester. - Location: 10 North Beach Street (ground floor). Zoning: Uptown (UP) with Historic Overlay. - Proposed use: Indoor entertainment facility with nine golf simulator bays and accessory bar; interior remodel and limited exterior changes. - Conditions recommended by staff and accepted by the commission: any exterior signage requires a Certificate of Appropriateness and sign permit; exterior modifications that expand the business beyond the first floor require a minor amendment review; a building permit authorizing the assembly/entertainment use is required before work begins.

Design, safety and historic questions The commissioners asked about egress, window treatment and whether the building's previously proposed marquee could ever be restored. Webb said the building will require a secondary egress at the rear stair (a door that was anticipated in earlier construction drawings) and that the simulator bays use impact screens designed to contain balls. "This floor is right at the sidewalk," Webb said when describing entrances and internal grade changes; the architect said existing building constraints drove the internal layout and plumbing locations.

Staff noted that prior approvals related to a historic marquee and associated variances had lapsed; any attempt to restore or reuse a historic marquee for signage would require separate HAPC/BZA review and would not allow electronic copy without additional variance approvals.

Public and commission comments No members of the public spoke against the application at the hearing. Commissioners expressed general support for re‑utilizing a long‑vacant commercial space in Uptown and encouraged the applicant to pursue historically sensitive signage restoration with HAPC if the property owner locates the old marquee. Commissioner comments framed the proposal as an adaptive reuse that fits the UP district’s mixed‑use intent.

Outcome and next steps The planning commission approved the conditional use by vote; the applicants will obtain building permits and any required COA for signage or façade alterations. If the operators pursue alcohol service, that will require a separate city licensing process and any applicable approvals.

Ending note: Commissioners said they welcomed a new uptown use for a building that had been vacant for years and encouraged the applicants to work with the Historic Architecture and Planning Commission on any exterior restoration ideas, including the marquee restoration that has been discussed in past hearings.