Bella Siena opened earlier this month in the Tannery Building. The Historic Preservation Review Commission will vote Thursday on modifications that differed from the original design review. (Photo by Nick Sestanovich)

After more than a year of planning and renovation, the new Italian-American restaurant Bella Siena opened its doors in the Tannery Building on June 4. The fine dining establishment has been a hit, drawing a massive amount of five-star reviews on Yelp and filling a space that had been largely unoccupied for nearly a decade.

However, city staff had noted that the restaurant’s construction was different from the design review that had been approved by the Historic Preservation Review Commission at its May 25, 2017 meeting. Therefore, the applicant— contractor James Lueschner— will need to submit a new application fee and supporting information for the HPRC to review in a public hearing at its Thursday meeting.

In a letter to Lueschner, Community Development Director Shawna Brekke-Read noted some of the changes from the design review. These included waste bins within the tree’s dripline, single pane windows with a wood panel that were higher than the approved design, new wall lights on the front facade, pre-hung doors with non-hardwood exterior grade wood, proposed metal trellises that had not been installed and a dark brown/tan exterior rather than the proposed charcoal color.

Lueschner subsequently requested after-the-fact approval of modifications to the design and conditions of approval for Bella Siena. In his resolution, he noted that the single pane windows were installed instead of multi-pane windows to match other windows in the building and provide a clear view of the Carquinez Strait. The brown color scheme was chosen to match the overall design of the restaurant and Tannery Building. Other changes Lueschner submitted included installing exterior wall-mounted light fixtures on the east elevation, modifying the design and entry dimensions for the east facade entry door, repurposing existing doors in the patio area instead of new redwood doors, getting rid of the metal trellis and evergreen vines because of potential obstructions to the ADA access path and wind conditions, and reserving two locations in the landscape area for future public art.

Per a staff report, property owner Joe Lopez has provided a cash deposit to the city to fund the restoration of all or part of the project to the approved design and conditions of approval as deemed by the HPRC. In the meantime, Bella Siena has been granted a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.

Staff recommends the HPRC approve the design review based on the findings and conditions of approval in the draft resolution.

In other business, the HPRC will be voting to adopt the proposed Downtown Historic District design guidelines and approve a design review for exterior modifications at 2045 Camel Road.

The HPRC will meet at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 28 in City Hall’s Commission Room, located at 250 East L St.

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