Level III: New Primary Structure
1-B-21-IH
Approved With Conditions
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 1-B-21-IH, with the following conditions:1) Revised design with minor variations, incorporating additional complexity to the roof forms (see Section 7: Roof Shapes and Materials); changes in materials; or the addition of extensions and bays (see Section 4: Scale, Mass, and Foundation Height) to meet design guidelines and differentiate the three adjacent houses; with approval by staff;
2) Final site plan to reflect route of access from walkway to house;
3) Revise porch design to use fewer porch supports and wider front porch stairs to better meet historic context, with approval by staff;
4) Scratch coat and painted foundation to carry around all sides of foundation;
5) Parking to meet city Engineering standards and be screened with landscaping or fencing to meet design guidelines;
6) Remove window shutters and show actual windows to be installed on final drawings;
7) Incorporate different siding detail in front porch gable;
8) Site plan to show one native or naturalized shade tree to be planted in front yard and one in the rear yard;
9) Continuous foundation on porch.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- Construction of new primary residence on vacant lot. Proposed house will measure 28'-0" wide by 36'-0" long, with a front-gable 8'-0" deep front porch centered on the façade . House will front Minnesota Avenue, and is proposed to be set 25'-0" from the front property line, with equal side setbacks of 10' on each side. Parking is accessed from the alley to the rear of the property, with a 19' by 19' concrete parking pad located on the rear right (south) corner of the property. A concrete sidewalk extends from the center of the porch to the street.
- The house features a front-gable roof with a 6/12 pitch, clad in architectural shingles, an exterior of vinyl siding, and a CMU foundation with a painted scratch coat above. Gable fields are clad in vertical vinyl siding.
- The façade (northwest) features a centered front-gable porch, measuring 8' deep. A half-light door is centered on the façade. Two pairs of adjoining double-hung vinyl windows flank the door, with non-operable vinyl shutters. A louvered vent is centered on the front gable field.
- The right (southwest) elevation features four adjoining double-hung vinyl windows on the first bay, with an additional window of the same design towards the house's rear. The rear (southeast) elevation features two sets of paired double-hung vinyl windows. An accessible secondary entry is located on the left (northeast) elevation, featuring a ramp with a concrete, cast-in-place, retaining wall.
Applicable Guidelines
Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines
See Guidelines- 1. Front Yards
- Consistent front yard space should be created along the street with the setback of a new house matching the older houses on the block.
- When several infill houses, porches and the habitable portion of each house should be about the same distance from the street as the original houses.
- A walkway should be provided from the sidewalk or street to the front door. Along grid streets, the walk should be perpendicular to the street.
- Healthy trees that are outside the building footprint should be preserved. The root area should be marked and protected during construction.
- Consistent front yard space should be created along the street with the setback of a new house matching the older houses on the block.
- 2. House Orientation and Side Yards
- New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
- Side yard setbacks should be similar to older houses on the block, keeping the rhythm of spacing between houses consistent.
- New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
- 3. Alleys, Parking, and Services
- Parking should not be in front yards.
- Alley access should be used for garage or parking pad locations.
- On streets without alleys, garages or parking pads should be at least 20' behind the front façade of the infill house with access limited to one lane between the street and the front façade.
- On those streets which have alleys, driveways should not be permitted from the front of the house.
- Alley oriented parking pads, garbage collection points, and utility boxes should be screened with a combination of landscaping and fencing.
- Parking should not be in front yards.
- 4. Scale, Mass, and Foundation Height
- The front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to the other houses along the street.
- The front façade of new houses should be about the same width as original houses on the block.
- If extensions or bays were typically part of the neighborhood's historic house design, such elements should be incorporated into infill housing.
- New foundations should be about the same height as the original houses in the neighborhood.
- The front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to the other houses along the street.
- 5. Porches and Stoops
- Porches should be part of the housing design in those neighborhoods where porches were commonplace.
- Porches should be proportional to original porches on the block, extending about 8-12' toward the street from the habitable portion of the house.
- Porches should extend into the front yard setback, if necessary, to maintain consistency with similarly sited porches along the street.
- Porch posts and railings should be like those used in the historic era of the neighborhood's development.
- Porches should be part of the housing design in those neighborhoods where porches were commonplace.
- 6. Windows and Doors
- When constructing new houses, the windows and door styles should be similar to the original or historic houses on the block.
- To respect the privacy of adjacent properties, consider the placement of side windows and doors.
- The windows and doors on the front façade of an infill house should be located in similar proportion and position as the original houses on the block.
- Attention should be paid to window placement and the ratio of solid (the wall) to void (the window and door openings).
- Contemporary windows such as "picture windows" should not be used in pre-World War II neighborhoods.
- When constructing new houses, the windows and door styles should be similar to the original or historic houses on the block.
- 7. Roof Shapes and Materials
- New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block.
- More complex roofs, such as hipped roofs and dormers, should be part of new housing designs when such forms were historically used on the block.
- Darker shades of shingle were often used and should be chosen in roofing houses in Infill neighborhoods.
- New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block.
- 8. Siding Materials
- Clapboard-like materials should be used in constructing new housing where painted wood siding was traditionally used.
- Faced stone, vertical siding, and other non-historic materials should not be used in building new houses.
- Clapboard-like materials should be used in constructing new housing where painted wood siding was traditionally used.
- 11. Landscape and Other Considerations
- One native or naturalized shade tree should be planted in the front and rear yards of infill lots with 25' or more in depth to the front of the house
- 1. Front Yards
Meeting Date
January 20, 2021
Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District
1534 Minnesota Ave. 37921
RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood)
Applicant / Owner
