No new liquor stores for six months: Shreveport liquor moratorium approved
The Metropolitan Planning Commission approved a liquor license moratorium in Shreveport on Wednesday afternoon. The move will temporarily prevent the erection of new liquor stores in the city.
The moratorium was approved in a 7-2 vote. When it will begin has yet to be determined.
The moratorium, as recommended by the City Council, would not apply to businesses looking to renew their licenses or businesses that already have applied for a license.
The City Council cited concerns with the high concentration of liquor stores in the city's Black communities. A study on the effects of that concentration will be conducted during the moratorium.
Last month: Shreveport City Council passes recommendation to stop issuing liquor store licenses temporarily
MPC Executive Director Alan Clarke said Wednesday there are 55 liquor stores in Shreveport “pretty evenly distributed throughout the city.”
He said the MPC will study use patterns and spacing requirements during the moratorium.
Clarke said the MPC has been inconsistent in granting liquor store licenses and have denied licenses to prospective operators in appropriate locations. He said this study could prove to be business friendly.
A similar study, Clarke said, was conducted on payday loan locations. The findings allowed better zoning standards to be instituted, such as requiring a certain amount of distance between different payday loan operators.
The City Council supported the moratorium 6-1 at its Oct. 26 meeting, with the sole dissenting vote being Grayson Boucher.
"It does send a message to businesses that we may be trying to hinder them," Boucher said.
"The whole way we look at alcohol in the City of Shreveport needs to be addressed, not just this," he added.
Boucher had concerns that a yet-to-open Brookshire's Food and Pharmacy might be affected by the moratorium and that chain grocers could be deterred from opening shop in Shreveport. Nickelson said the Brookshire's in question had no intentions of selling liquor.
From the beginning: Shreveport City Council to consider liquor store license moratorium
Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor said "the demand is not warranted" for liquor stores in some communities where they're allowed. She and Councilman John Nickelson proposed the moratorium.
"I do not believe we are sending a message that Shreveport is antibusiness when Amazon is right there and other companies are coming in here," Taylor said. "Trust me, we don't have a shortage of liquor in this city.”
Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: No new liquor stores for 6 months: Shreveport moratorium approved
