Bossier City · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Bossier City public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Fence height variance for Tractor Supply garden center
Tractor Supply wants to surround its outdoor garden sales area with a 16-foot fence or wall — more than double the city's 7-foot cap. The Board of Adjustment hears this variance request at a public hearing, and the decision affects the look and screening of a busy Barksdale Boulevard commercial corridor.
Rezoning of 2909 Old Minden Road to General Business
The family of the late Ronald Mock is seeking to rezone about two acres on Old Minden Road from residential low density to general business, possibly to expand their adjoining strip mall. A public hearing is expected next month.
Rezone at 5301 East Texas Street
A fenced, lease-only truck storage yard near I-20 got its gravel-surface approval, with a concrete apron extended toward the highway; the board flagged concerns about hazardous materials near Barksdale's flight path.
Comprehensive plan and unified development code rewrite
The Planning Commission asked the council to pull the item hiring Halff Associates to update the city's comprehensive plan and unified development code, so that work is on hold.
NCMC South Bossier Clinic rooftop HVAC screening waiver
A new publicly funded clinic at 5668 Barksdale Boulevard wants its rooftop HVAC units unscreened, arguing a parapet wall hides them from the public. The board let the request die without a motion, likely requiring roughly $80,000–$85,000 in screening.
Gas station/c-store at Forest Hills Boulevard and Highway 80
Forest Village LLC wants to lift a self-imposed ban on fuel sales at an already B-3-zoned corner, adding an Exxon c-store. Residents of the 540-home Forest Hills subdivision packed the hearing over traffic, flooding, crime, and notification concerns, though the developer says a new signal — at its expense — will cut the intersection's five-minute peak delays to under a minute.
Rezone and development at Barksdale and Robert E. Lee
Nine vacant acres at a busy South Bossier intersection were rezoned for a physical therapy clinic and child care center serving up to 350 children. A traffic study is required before permits, and the driveway at Barksdale Boulevard won't be allowed.
Alcohol sales at 2125 Old Minden Road convenience store
A Raceway got conditional approval to sell low-content alcohol for off-premise consumption, with conditions requiring a new sidewalk to a crosswalk, a midnight close, and consolidation of the oddly-zoned parcel before any sales begin.
Modular home special exception at 4505 Pine Crest Drive
A homeowner wants to place a modular home on 2.2 acres outside any subdivision, but neighbors in Tall Timbers and Pine Crest subdivisions say it doesn't meet community standards and could depress property values. Neighbors also worry construction will worsen drainage runoff that already hits their yards.
Alcohol conditional use approvals
Three new alcohol permits cleared the council — a sports bar, a liquor store, and an event center. Council pressed the liquor store on its drive-through window, which can't be used at that location.
Digital billboard conversion on Airline Drive
A fight over how the 1,000-foot rule between digital signs is counted — whole sign or per face — sent a billboard case to the Board of Adjustment. The applicant says a Lamar digital sign 500 feet away was approved under the same interpretation he's contesting.
Firearms and ammunition shop rezoning
A 0.512-acre tract on Vanceville Road would be rezoned from office to limited business for a firearms and ammunition shop; the public hearing comes next and the applicant must attend.
Child care and therapy facility rezoning
Dr. Latonya Mister wants to rezone 9.92 acres off Barksdale to build a child care center and a second location of her women's-health physical therapy practice — addressing a chronic local child care shortage.
Fence height variance stemming from ongoing neighbor dispute
The Rosedale HOA built an 8-foot fence without a permit to screen homes from the adjacent Cane's Landing subdivision, but two longtime residents say HOA covenants cap fences at 6 feet and that homes along the Wimple Road walking trail need privacy more. The commission approved the fence on elevation grounds while declaring the covenant fight outside its authority.
Benton Road office warehouse rezoning denied
A plan to rezone 1.837 acres on Benton Road for office warehouses will get a full public hearing, with screening walls planned between the development and nearby residences.
Folia Development rezoning for mixed-use commercial
A 4.3-acre tract in the Folia PUD was rezoned from residential to general business for mixed-use commercial development near Airline Drive, prompting a question from a contiguous neighbor on Old Bramley Road.
Baseball training facility rezoning at Tipton and Nina
Carl Roussel wants to rezone a small corner lot to build a 12,000-square-foot indoor baseball and softball training facility with an outdoor 90-foot infield and a six-foot baseball on the old Ravana restaurant sign structure.
Sign ordinance interpretation for back-to-back billboards
How the city counts square footage on double-sided billboards decides who can build LED signs and where. The board kept the stricter reading, but even billboard industry voices said the rule needs clarifying so it applies the same to everyone.
129 Bobbie Street duplex
A small residential rezoning for a proposed duplex will get a public hearing; Commissioner James Fine recused himself because of his connection to the project.