The Beacon Hill Architectural Commission  unanimously approved new signage and exterior painting for a new restaurant proposed for the former Bin 26 Enoteca space at the commission’s monthly public hearing held virtually on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Babak Bina, one of the partners in the new restaurant called ‘Zurito,’ as well as co-owner of the erstwhile Bin 26, said they intend to install a new double-sided, 30-by-30 inch, wood-carved blade sign for the new business to replace an existing sign, with the same dimensions and using existing hardware. The applicant also proposed painting the paint door and surround Heritage Red, said Bina.

(Zurito, which will draw from the culture and cuisine of the Basque region of Northeastern Spain, is the latest undertaking by a new hospitality group called BCB3, which includes Bina, as well as Chef Jamie Bissonette and Andrew Cartin – one of Bina’s existing partners.)

Vice Chair Arian Allen made the motion to approve this application as submitted, which was unanimously supported by Commissioners Maurice Finegold, Edward Fleck, Ralph Jackson, and Alice Richmond.

Likewise, an application submitted by Benefit Cosmetics Boutique & BrowBar at 31 Charles St. for new awnings was unanimously approved as submitted by Chair Mark Kiefer, Vice Chair Allen, and Commissioners Finegold, Fleck, and Jackson. The new awnings, which would wrap around Chestnut Street, would be black in color and replace the existing pink awnings. This determination came with provisos that the graphics (i.e. the business name in lower-case font) be retained in the lower, hanging portion of the canopy, and that the graphics retain their existing placement and size on the canopy.

In another matter, an application for new signage for Oliveira’s Express – a new Brazilian restaurant which has opened in the former B.Good space at 204 Cambridge St. – was denied without prejudice by a majority. Commissioners Finegold, Fleck, Jackson, and Richmond supported the motion, which was submitted by Commissioner Richmond because, she said, the signage as proposed is “no longer appropriate for a location that is now part of a Historic District.” Vice Chair Allen cast the sole dissenting vote against the motion.

Oliveira’s Express is located within an approximately 40-foot-wide swath running from Charles Circle to Bowdoin Street along Cambridge Street, which was added to the Beacon Hill Historic District via a new law signed by Gov. Maura Healey on July 3.

Bill Loiacano of Gloucester-based Seaside Graphics said like the existing signage, the proposed, new signage would be front lit and have channel letters in a raceway. The new sign would be the same size as the existing one, he said, and also use the existing hardware.

Loiacano added that the applicant had started the process for the new signage in June, before the new law expanding the Historic District was passed, and that they were previously unaware of this impending change.

Nicholas Armata, BHAC staff, said he had consulted with the city’s legal team, and the consensus was that the application process for the signage was already underway before “the goalpost got moved,” so an exception to the Historic District’s guidelines should perhaps be made in this instance.

Commissioner Richmond, also an attorney, agreed with the position of the city’s legal team.

“This is an issue of fundamental fairness to the applicant,” she said. “They made a good faith effort to do something, and the rules changed.”

Commissioner Richmond advised the applicant that they could either reapply to the commission with proposed signage more in line with the requirements for the Historic District, or they could simply resubmit this same application upon their return.

In contrast, Commissioner Finegold pointed to this application as an ideal opportunity to put the new law to use while emphasizing that sign illumination is typically prohibited in the Historic District.

“How do we signal that something new has happened?” asked Commissioner Finegold. “I think it’s a great statement [to apply the new law in this case], although it would be annoying and cumbersome to the owner.”

On an application for 30 West Cedar St., the commission unanimously voted in favor of a motion to approve as submitted proposed work, including the installation of an inline lint filter  in the ducting, which would terminate behind the security screen of a basement-level window. This project is part of a thorough renovation of the basement laundry-room and aims to mitigate lint left on the sidewalk, which, according to the applicant, has become commonplace with the existing dryer configuration. The motion for this application was unanimously supported by Chair Kiefer, Vice Chair Allen, and Commissioners Finegold, Fleck, and Jackson.

On an application to replace one historic window and two non-historic windows at 97 Chestnut St., the commission voted by a majority to support a motion submitted by Chair Kiefer to approve the replacement of the two non-historic windows, with provisos including that the mutton bar no wider than 7/8 inches be used in the windows; that a dark spacer bar be used in the windows; that no low-e glass be used in the windows; and that project details be submitted to staff prior to construction.

Per the same motion, the replacement of the historic window was denied without prejudice to allow the applicant time to explore alternatives that would significantly preserve the window while also conserving more energy.

Chair Kiefer’s motion was supported by himself, along with Vice Chair Allen and Commissioner Fleck and Richmond.  Commissioner Finegold, who cast the sole vote against the motion, expressed a strong preference for creating uniformity among the three windows.

An application for 10 Mount Vernon Square, with proposed work at rear of property including removing the existing wooden fence and gate and replacing it with a similar wood-style fence, as well as rebuilding the concrete parking ramp, was unanimously approved as submitted by Chair Kiefer, Vice Chair Allen, and Commissioners Finegold, Fleck, Jackson, and Richmond.

In another matter, the commission voted unanimously (by Vice Chair Allen and Commissioners  Finegold, Fleck, and Richmond) to continue an application for 48 Chestnut St. to install a return wall for the garage enclosure.

On an application for 8 Park St., with proposed work including a new roofdeck and headhouse, a quorum couldn’t be reached so the applicant was asked to return again next month.

An application to install new planters at The Whitney Hotel at 170 Charles St. was also slated for design review, but that matter wasn’t heard due to the applicant’s failure to appear at the hearing.