BOSSIER CITY, La. – The Bossier City Council approved additional funding for two major infrastructure projects Tuesday while rejecting a proposed commercial rezoning for a chiropractic office along Benton Road after an extended public debate over traffic and neighborhood safety.
The council unanimously approved an additional $300,000 from the city’s Streets and Drainage Fund for the Benton Road Street Repairs Project after construction bids exceeded the available budget. The increase brings total project funding to $2.15 million and allows the city to move forward with the project as designed. The street repair project previously received $1 million in state funding and $500,000 through the Louisiana Department of the Treasury, with local matching funds supplied by the city.
Council members also unanimously approved an additional $33,800 for emergency street and drainage repairs at Golden Meadows Boulevard and Bayou Drive. The funding will cover labor, equipment and materials needed to complete repairs beyond the scope of the city’s Public Works Department.
One of the meeting’s most closely watched items was a request to rezone approximately 0.07 acres at 2290 Benton Road from residential to business commercial for a proposed chiropractic office. Supporters cited approval by the Metropolitan Planning Commission, favorable access reviewed by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and submitted a petition with 50 signatures from neighborhood residents backing the proposal. Opponents raised concerns about increased traffic, safety and the potential for additional commercial development in the area.
The council also considered an amendment that would have required the property owners to install and maintain “No Parking” signs along Douglas Drive. That proposal failed on a 5-2 vote. The rezoning itself was later rejected by a 6-1 vote, preventing development of the proposed chiropractic office under the requested zoning classification.
Looking ahead, council members unanimously introduced an ordinance authorizing a cooperative endeavor agreement with Lakewood Villas Development LLC for the widening of Shed Road, a project that could support future residential and commercial growth in the area. The ordinance will return to the council for final consideration at a future meeting.
The council also introduced an ordinance authorizing an agreement with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for FEMA funding to support the Bossier City Drainage Master Plan Scoping Project, another infrastructure initiative aimed at long-term flood mitigation planning.