Clayton Plan Commission — August 31: Bar CUP forwarded to City Council, Café Napoli pergola continued, ribbon driveway approved
The commission recommended a new bar at 7931 Forsyth, continued the long-running Café Napoli code case, and approved an as-built ribbon driveway at 7507 Westmoreland, with one member absent.
What happened
The Clayton Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board met on the evening of August 31, 2026, working through four substantive items: a third and final-warning review of the Café Napoli pergola at 7754 Forsyth Boulevard; a new conditional-use-permit request for a bar at 7931 Forsyth; an after-the-fact approval request for a Hollywood ribbon driveway at 7507 Westmoreland; and an ARB review of a new accessory structure on Arundel. The commission voted to continue the Café Napoli matter to September 14, recommended the bar CUP to the City Council, and approved both the ribbon driveway and the accessory structure.
What the commission decided
- 7754 Forsyth Boulevard (Café Napoli pergola) — continued to the September 14 meeting, the last date within the 60-day review window, after the applicant's representative indicated intent to remove the pergola and relocate the planters and agreed to submit a revised application with a letter withdrawing all prior designs by the end of the week.
- 7931 Forsyth Boulevard (bar conditional use permit) — the commission voted to recommend approval of the CUP to the City Council with the condition that live music not be permitted between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m.
- 7507 Westmoreland (ribbon driveway) — the ARB approved the as-built Hollywood ribbon driveway as submitted, with no additional conditions, after staff confirmed that engineering documentation received the same day demonstrated the drainwell was sized appropriately for stormwater runoff.
- Arundel accessory structure — the ARB approved the new detached accessory structure as submitted, despite the design's siding-heavy material ratio not meeting the standard 75% primary-material guideline, on the basis that the design coheres with an existing addition on the house.
- Minutes of the August 17 meeting were approved as submitted with no changes.
Who was there
Roll call at the opening of the meeting recorded the following members present: Steve Lichtenfeld, Helen DiFate, Jim Arsenault, and Chris Brennan. The transcript also references Blair (consistent with Blair Kweskin) participating in debate later in the meeting. The chair addressed a member named "Laird" at the close of the meeting. One seat appears to have been vacant at roll call; the record does not name that member.