Staff recommends postponement of Certificate 10-A-21-IH, so that a revised design can submitted to the Board for further review, addressing items such as façade width, scale, porch proportions, and window placement, along with any stormwater issues which may exist on the site.
1. The submitted site plan does not specifically call out the front setback measurement; the 8' deep front porch looks to be approximately 26' from the front property line. There is only one other house at the end of the block, set approximately 27' from the front property line. Overall, the proposed front setback should be confirmed to meet the RN-2 dimensional standards and the broader context of the neighborhood.
2. The subject block lacks significant context. Older houses on the block include modified Craftsman bungalows and a small shotgun house at 1700 Ohio Avenue. The narrow house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot, though the two-story, narrow form is not consistent with the broader neighborhood context.
3. The proposed parking meets the design guidelines by avoiding the front yard and placing the parking pad behind the house. The alley to the northeast of the site is not improved. Modifications to the site plan may be necessary to meet City Engineering standards, especially to address stormwater issue with a recently declassified stream on the site.
4. Guidelines note that "the front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to the other houses on the street," and the "front façade of new houses should be about the same width as original houses on the block." The proposed house, at 17' wide and two stories tall, is not similar in scale or façade with nearby Craftsman bungalows or other Queen Anne cottages in the surrounding neighborhood. The foundation height is not clearly defined on the drawings.
5. The design includes an 8' deep front porch, partially recessed under a cantilevered interior space. The cantilevered section and porch roof do not reflect typical proportions from the context.
6. Guidelines state that "window and door styles should be similar to original or historic houses on the block," especially in "similar proportion and position" on the façade and paying attention to "window placement and ratio of solid to void." The proposed design includes six different window sizes and irregular placement. Window designs and proportions should be corrected to meet the design guidelines.
7. The 9/12 pitch, front-gable roof meets the design guidelines for slope; the shed roof on the porch incorporates additional roofline complexity.
8. The site plan incorporates trees in the front and rear yards.
New primary residence fronting Ohio Avenue. Two-story, front-gable roof residence measures 17' wide by 33' long, with an 8' deep, full length front porch, which is partially recessed under the projecting second story. The house is proposed to be set approximately 26' from the front property line. The parking is proposed as a 10' wide driveway extending off Ohio Avenue to the left of the house and wrapping to a two-car parking area in the rear of the house.
The two-story, front-gable roof house features an 8' deep front porch, which is topped by a projecting shed roof and partially recessed under cantilevered interior space on the second story. The house is proposed to be clad in horizontal lap siding, with an asphalt shingle-clad roof and an exposed CMU foundation. The façade (southeast) is two bays wide, with two adjoining 30 x 60 double-hung windows followed by a Craftsman-style door. On the second story, there are three adjoining 30 by 50 double-hung windows. On the right elevation, there are three windows of varying size and placement, with two other window sizes on the left elevation. A secondary access is located on the rear elevation.
Home | contact@knoxplanning.org | (865) 215-2500
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
City-County Building | Suite 403 | 400 Main Street | Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
