Clayton Plan Commission — July 20: Gelateria CUP approved, Bemiston facade tabled, sign sub-district rejected, and UDC rewrite previewed
Gelateria wins CUP, Bemiston turf debate forces a table, and staff previews Clayton's residential zoning overhaul.
What happened
The Clayton Plan Commission and Architectural Review Board met on July 20, 2026, and worked through three action items before turning to a lengthy discussion session on the city's residential zoning code rewrite. The board approved a conditional use permit for a new gelateria at 42 North Central Avenue, tabled a front-facade and front-yard overhaul at 122 North Bemiston Avenue after debate over artificial turf, and declined to approve a proposed sign sub-district for the mixed-use tower at 7701 Forsyth Boulevard. Staff then presented a detailed preview of proposed changes to the residential unified development code and a new neighborhood pattern-book framework.
What the commission decided
- 42 North Central Avenue — approved a conditional use permit for a gelateria (restaurant use requiring a CUP) in a planned-unit-development mixed-use building on the east side of North Central between Maryland and Forsyth. The tenant space had not been previously occupied.
- 122 North Bemiston Avenue — the board voted to table the facade and front-yard proposal to a future date to be determined. One member cast a dissenting vote. The chair noted the applicant would be placed back on the agenda upon resubmission of information, and that the standard 60-day ARB decision timeline might not apply depending on when materials are resubmitted.
- 7701 Forsyth Boulevard — the proposed sign sub-district for the mixed-use commercial tower at the northwest corner of Hanley and Forsyth was not approved. Multiple members expressed opposition to concentrating the building's full sign allowance in a single band of large wall signs.
- Minutes from the July 6 meeting were approved as submitted.
Who was there
The transcript records the following members responding to roll call: Steve Lichtenfeld, Helen DiFate, Jim Arsenault, Blair Kweskin, Jeff Morrisey, and Susan Buse. The record does not indicate any absences.