Shreveport council remands Highland Avenue gas‑station plan to planners for traffic study

The Shreveport City Council voted unanimously to remand an appeal over a proposed mixed‑use development at 3100 Highland Avenue — a project that would combine restaurants and retail with fuel pumps and beer‑and‑wine sales — back to the Municipal Planning Commission for further review and a traffic study.

The decision on the contested special‑use permit followed nearly three hours of testimony on April—at the council meeting, where residents and property owners pressed the council to block the proposal on the basis of traffic, public‑safety and neighborhood‑compatibility concerns. Councilman Brooks moved to remand the case to the planning commission for a traffic analysis and for consideration of a set of neighborhood‑requested stipulations; Councilman Jackson seconded the motion, which passed 7–0.

Why the council acted: Neighbors and nearby landlords told the council the corner already has multiple outlets selling fuel and alcohol and that adding a mixed‑use site with pumps would deepen an overconcentration of those businesses. “Placing a retail establishment that prominently sells alcohol directly across from a sober‑living home creates a significant and unnecessary risk,” one resident said, asking the council to consider the public‑health implications for residents in recovery.

Developer’s response: The applicant’s representative, architect Jeff Spikes, and developer Omar Ali said the project had been redesigned in response to neighborhood feedback. Spikes said the site had been flipped to front Kings Highway rather than back the building into the residential block, that the number of fuel pumps was reduced from eight to six, and that hours would be limited and lighting, landscaping and surveillance would be added. “It’s not just a gas station,” Spikes said, describing the plan as a “site‑specific mixed‑use development” with restaurants, a coffee shop and outdoor seating.

Planning staff and enforcement: Planning staff told the council the MPC had reviewed an updated site plan and that conditions and stipulations (for example, dumpster location and restricted pickup hours) could be added and enforced as part of the special‑use permit process. City planning staff also said their preliminary review had included comments from the city’s traffic reviewer, who noted driveway width but did not require a formal traffic study under current trip‑generation warrants.

What the council requested: The remand asks the MPC to obtain a traffic study to test whether a single access point on Kings Highway is safe and whether mitigation (turn lanes, driveway geometry, access restrictions) is needed. The council also asked that the commission consider neighborhood stipulations offered at the hearing — including enforced hours, limits on alcohol sales, and deed restrictions — and return with recommended conditions before the council votes again.

Next steps: The case will return to the MPC for a public hearing with the requested traffic analysis and any additional stipulations. The council and staff indicated the timeline will depend on the traffic‑engineer availability and when an applicant‑funded study can be completed; staff estimated a realistic return could occur in late spring to early summer once the engineering review and MPC vote are complete.

The council’s remand preserves the MPC’s earlier findings while ordering additional technical review and clearer, enforceable conditions in response to persistent neighborhood concerns.