Bossier City, LA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Application fee
- $100.00 per request to the MPC
- Petition threshold
- Two-thirds of affected property owners
- Insurance
- $1M/$2M general liability, $1M auto
- Approval path
- MPC board approval, then council ordinance
- Access hours
- Gates must stay open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Reviewing body
- Bossier City-Bossier Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission
Summary
Homeowners associations and developers who want to gate a publicly dedicated residential street in Bossier City must file a request for encroachment with the Bossier City-Bossier Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission under Code of Ordinances Sec. 102-9, pay a $100.00 application fee, collect a two-thirds owner petition, and win a city council ordinance before installing anything.
The city council, in an effort to meet the demand from the public and subdivision developers, has designed a procedure to allow gates for control of vehicular traffic into residential subdivisions with publicly dedicated streets which meet criteria outlined in this section. ... (1)Any person, organized homeowners association (HOA), or residential developer desiring to construct any access gate or other improvement whatsoever designed and intended to restrict and/or regulate vehicular access upon or across any public residential street shall first file a request for encroachment with the metropolitan planning commission to construct and maintain such improvement. Action on the request shall not be taken until the requesting party certifies that they have satisfied all requirements of this section. ... (3)An application fee of $100.00 per request, payable to the metropolitan planning commission, shall be required for each request submitted.
Full Breakdown
Bossier City channels every request to gate a public residential street through Code of Ordinances Sec. 102-9, titled 'Vehicle access to residential subdivisions with publicly dedicated streets.' Any person, homeowners association or residential developer who wants to build an access gate or similar improvement restricting vehicular access on a public residential street must first file a request for encroachment with the Bossier City-Bossier Parish Metropolitan Planning Commission and certify that every requirement of the section has been satisfied before the MPC acts on it. Absent a recorded subdivision covenant that already lets the developer or a lesser share of owners approve a gate, the request needs a petition signed by two-thirds of the affected property owners, plus a scaled plat or sketch showing the gate's design, materials and hardware, filed in five copies along with a $100.00 application fee payable to the MPC.
The MPC director circulates the paperwork to the mayor, police chief, fire chief, and the directors of public utilities, public works and the city engineer for comments before the MPC board votes; MPC approval only introduces an ordinance for the city council, which must have the full petition and comment record attached before it can adopt it. Once the council approves, the requesting party must sign an indemnification agreement and carry at least $1,000,000.00/$2,000,000.00 in commercial general liability coverage, $1,000,000.00 in business auto liability, and $1,000,000.00/$1,000,000.00/$1,000,000.00 in workers' compensation, naming the city as an additional insured and renewing the certificate every January 2.
No building permit issues until insurance and indemnification are on file, and any gate that limits vehicular access must stay open between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. seven days a week. The MPC or council can revoke the whole approval, at the owner's expense, if it later finds a public purpose or safety need to remove the encroachment.
Violations & Fines
Failure to meet the insurance, indemnification or annual certificate requirements of Sec. 102-9 lets the Metropolitan Planning Commission or city council revoke the encroachment approval outright and order the gate removed at the owner's expense, with no recourse against either body. Restricting access outside the 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. window the ordinance allows similarly exposes the responsible HOA or developer to permit revocation and removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who approves a gated entrance on a residential street in Bossier City?
How many homeowners have to agree to a gate?
What insurance does a Bossier City gate encroachment require?
Can a gate block a public street all day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bossier City
Compare Bossier City to another location·View the Louisiana sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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