Design Review Board

Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District

1-A-24-IH

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 1-A-24-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 2) front setback to be revised to align with blockface; 3) final site plan to incorporate native or naturalized shade trees in the front and rear yards; 4) foundation height to measure at least 12" to be compatible with the neighborhood context.


Applicant Request
New Primary Structure
1. The proposed front setback is not clarified on the site plan, but shown as significantly recessed from the 20' front setback requirement. The average front setback of the blockface is 20.5', with the adjacent house at 16'. The house should be moved towards the front property line to align with the blockface. The site plan includes a walkway to the sidewalk.

2. The block to receive new construction is characterized by modified Queen Anne cottages and infill construction. The one-story, three-bay house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot and the context of the block.

3. The proposed parking meets the Infill Housing zoning code and design guidelines, accessed from an alley and located to the rear of the house. Final site plan revisions may be necessary to meet City Engineering standards.

4. The house's façade is similar in scale and width to historic houses on the block and neighborhood. The house is proposed for a concrete slab foundation; the foundation should be elevated to at least 12"-18" to reflect foundation heights in the context.

5. The house features an 8' deep, partial-width front porch supported by 8 by 8 square columns. The porch is compatible with the design of the house and the surrounding context.

6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles be similar, with similar proportions and ratio of solid to void, to historic houses on the block. All elevations have sufficient window proportions.

7. The proposed roof pitch, 6/12, is the minimum typically approved in the Infill Housing overlay.

8. Final horizontal siding materials should incorporate an overlap instead of Dutch lap or flush panel siding. The foundation should be clad in stucco or a parge coat instead of exposed CMU.

9. The final site plan should incorporate one native or naturalized shade tree in the front and rear yards.

Staff Comments
New primary structure fronting Connecticut Ave. One-story residence features a front-gable roof (6/12 pitch), an exterior of vinyl lap and board-and-batten siding, and a slab foundation. The house measures 28' wide by 44'-5" deep and features a partial-width porch with a front-gable roof, projecting from the right side of the foundation. Parking is located to the rear of the house and accessed from the alley.

The façade (southeast) is three bays wide, featuring paired one-over-one windows flanking a central door. The porch is supported by two 8 by 8 wood posts. Gable fields are clad in board-and-batten siding. The right elevation features three double-hung windows, with two on the left elevation, and two windows flanking a secondary entry on the rear elevation.
Applicant

Amber Culpepper Lafayette Properties, LLC


Planning Staff
Lindsay Crockett
Phone: 865-215-3795
Email: lindsay.crockett@knoxplanning.org
Location
1543 Connecticut Ave.

Owner
Amber Culpepper Lafayette Properties, LLC

Case History