The Shreveport City Council recently approved the motion to allow a liquor store to set up shop at a former Circle K convenience store located at the corner of Kings Highway and Gilbert Drive in the Highland neighborhood.

A number of residents of the area voiced their displeasure of the potential opening of a liquor store at that location to the councilmembers before the vote.

However, the City Council’s approval included a few caveats, chiefly that the store’s hours of operation will be from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Also included is the provision of a revised site plan to feature the following: closure of the westernmost driveway; extension of the sidewalk and landscaping (shrubbery) from Gilbert Drive across the former driveway and in the unmaintained area next to the eastern driveway; irrigation of all landscaping on the site, repair of the deteriorate sections of all fencing at the site; provision of a monument sign, if new signage is proposed at a later date; assurance that the dumpster enclosure is maintained and in proper working order; and enhance the façade and revise the site plan in the following manner to be consistent with the residential character of the neighborhood: Restore glass storefront, introduce a raised gabled parapet feature in front that accents the entry and provides articulation to the roof line, introduce canopies or other similar features to the façade to complement the human scale, introduce siding to accent the existing brick, add pilasters at the end of the building and abutting the storefront to add visual interest to the façade, incorporate brick columns into the existing wooden fence, introduce a wide (8 to 10 feet) sidewalk along the front building façade and consider the raised parapet feature mentioned above being incorporated as covered entry feature, and add a planter against the façade on each corner of the building.

This Article was published in the October 18th issue of The Inquisitor.