Commission approves exterior alterations, patio and landscaping at 345 E. Second Ave. with conditions

The Italian Village Commission on July 2025 approved a certificate of appropriateness (COA2500598) for exterior alterations at 345 East Second Avenue, including enlarging an existing doorway opening, replacing a concrete patio, and repainting previously painted masonry, with conditions on landscaping and some construction details.

The commission's staff report said the proposed doorway opening would be restored to a historically larger aperture and that staff support the restoration and enlargement because the building is locally contributing within the district. Staff recommended approval subject to additional landscape permeability at the patio, removal of an unspecified “invitation ID” from the application, and compliance with applicable Italian Village standards (standards 1,2,3,5,6,9,10 and 12 listed in the staff report).

Commissioners asked the applicant to provide more detail on several construction items before final permits: lighting in the rear/parking area, the patio’s structural reinforcement, and whether an ADA ramp (if needed) would meet required slopes and details. Commissioners and staff recommended the patio include reinforcement (mesh or welded-wire fabric) and a permeable surface or perimeter planting to improve stormwater infiltration. Staff and commissioners also requested a clearer landscape plan that identifies species and sizes of proposed trees and shrubs and shows permeable planting strips along the fence line.

During discussion, commissioners suggested reducing the originally proposed 3-foot-wide gravel/permeable strip along the fence to 2 feet for cost and spatial reasons, and asked for caliper or container sizes for the three proposed trees (applicant noted 6-by-6 tree pits were shown on the plan). Commissioners also asked for detail on tree planting soils and root zone preparation to ensure the proposed trees will establish in compacted urban soils.

The commission moved and approved COA2500598 with the conditions that: (1) a revised landscape plan showing species and planting sizes be submitted to staff for review and approval; (2) the permeable planting strip around the patio be a minimum of 2 feet (up to 3 feet as proposed) and that additional permeable area be provided near tree plantings; and (3) the item identified as the invitation ID be removed from the application. The motion carried; the transcript records the motion, second and a voice vote but does not record a roll-call tally in the minutes.

The commission noted the application remains subject to standard construction review and required building permits; applicants were told to provide construction details for the patio slab (reinforcement and vapor barrier) and to verify ADA-grade measurements if an access ramp is needed.

The applicant was directed to work with staff on the detailed landscape submittal (species, caliper/size, planting soil amendments and final planting plan) so staff can process the conditioned approval.

The commission did not take up the related signage item for this same address at that moment; the building-alteration COA was considered and approved as described.