Council approves special-use permit to allow alcohol sales at NetPlex over local objections

After a two-hour public hearing and extended council debate, the Amarillo City Council voted to adopt Ordinance 8,234, granting a special-use permit (SUP) that allows on-premise alcohol sales at the NetPlex indoor sports facility at 3723 Southwest 58th Avenue.

Planning staff introduced the request as a zoning amendment with an SUP limited to alcohol sales by an indoor sports facility. Planning and Zoning recommended approval, noting adjacent commercial zoning and that the SUP could be limited to avoid broader commercial alcohol uses. Staff also said that TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) licensing remains a separate state process and that any final permit must comply with state rules.

Kristen Stroud, who identified herself as regional vice president of business development for Sports Facilities Companies and as an Amarillo resident, told council the facility would exercise discretion about serving alcohol and would not serve during youth programming such as UIL events and family functions. "This isn't about creating a bar that happens to have sports courts," she said, adding the operation would restrict alcohol service to a contained lounge area and employ a 0-tolerance behavior policy.

Opponents raised safety and land-use concerns. Several parents and residents said alcohol near youth sporting events risks heightened emotions and earlier altercations, and called attention to a daycare and church near the property line. "You put alcohol into that, it is a stupid idea," one resident said during public comment. Others flagged traffic safety on Southwest 58th Avenue, noting high speeds on the corridor and an increased risk of impaired-driving crashes.

Operators and supporters said the NetPlex has security plans and contracts for off-duty officers at larger events, that the restaurant tenant (San Jose Mexican Restaurant) holds a separate, suite-specific license, and that the facility had previously held a TABC license which was abandoned when the restaurant tenant arrived. A NetPlex partner said the applicant had sought moderation and would limit alcohol to a restricted lounge that cannot be carried out onto courts.

Council members debated whether rezoning or an SUP was the proper path, distance requirements under local code versus TABC rules, and whether an SUP would allow future non-sports businesses to use the permit. Council ultimately approved the measure on a 3–2 vote.

The council's action rezones the property to allow the SUP; any final alcohol permit remains subject to TABC review and to the footprint/lease arrangements between tenants. The ordinance includes the planning commission's recommendation that the SUP apply only to an indoor sports facility; the city secretary noted that if a different user sought alcohol sales in the future, further review would be required.

The city clerk recorded the vote as passing with a 3–2 tally. The council did not take additional immediate amendments on operating hours or further limitations beyond the SUP language; staff said they would ensure the SUP conditions and TABC requirements are reflected in the permitting process.