One of Clayton’s most popular restaurants wants to give diners on its prominent downtown patio more separation from the comings and goings on the street. But Clayton officials don’t want that protection to wall off one of the city’s most socially vibrant corners. Finding a compromise is taking weeks.
Earlier this year, Cafe Napoli installed a pergola and 7-foot-3-inch screening around part of its Forsyth patio. Architect Derek Lauer told the Clayton Plan Commission/ Architectural Review Board on behalf of the restaurant earlier this month that the patio enclosure not only provides a needed safety buffer, but also shields diners from headlights, noise, and other activity along one of Clayton’s busiest intersections.
But the installation happened without the necessary city approvals—and isn’t to the liking of some city officials. “I’m sorry that you don’t like your neighbors to the north, city hall, the fire department, the residents of Old Town,” review board member Helen DiFate said at an August 3 meeting. “Walking from North Bemiston southward, it’s a wall. It’s a black wall that says, ‘I don’t want to look at you and you’re not welcome.’”…