Level III: New Primary Structure
11-A-23-IH
Approved With Conditions
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 11-A-23-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 2) house to be moved closer to the front property line to align with the setback pattern of the block; 3) one window to be added to left elevation; 4) revisions to differentiate from adjacent new houses at 1708 Ohio Ave and 1710 Ohio Ave, with approval by staff.Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- New primary residence fronting Ohio Avenue. The one-story, front-gable roof house is approximately 50 ft long by 24 ft wide and is proposed to be set back approximately 23 feet from the front property line. The house will rest on an approximately 12" tall foundation, clad in stucco or brick veneer, featuring a front gable roof (/12 pitch) clad in asphalt shingles. The house will be clad in lap siding with shake siding on the front gable. Parking is proposed to be a concrete parking pad located in the rear of the house and accessed via the alley.
- The façade (north) features a recessed corner porch on the left side of the elevation, supported by a 6x6 column. Column and railing materials are unspecified. A door is centrally located on the façade, flanked by a pair of 4/4 double-hung windows on the left and a single double-hung 4/4 window on the right projecting mass.
- The left elevation features three 1/1 double-hung windows. The right elevation features two 1/1 double-hung windows. The rear elevation features a projecting front gable porch on the right, supported by one 6x6 column. A secondary access door opens to the porch, flanked by one small 1/1 double-hung window on the left and a larger 1/1 double-hung window towards the center of the elevation.
- COA revised to reflect conditions of approval and construction drawings, 1.31.2024. Construction drawings approved in KnoxPlans as submitted 12.21.2023.
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.
- 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. Housing Orientation
- New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
- On corner lots, side yard setbacks should be handled traditionally (that is, closer to the side street). The zoning requirement to treat corner lots as having two frontages should not apply in "Heart of Knoxville" neighborhoods.
- 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 level ground, pea gravel or similar material may be used as a parking pad off alleys.
- Garages which are perpendicular to the alley should be about 18 feet from the center line of the alley pavement, allowing a comfortable turning radius for a driver to enter a garage.
- Alley-oriented parking pads, garbage collection points, and utility boxes should be screened with a combination of landscaping and fencing.
- On those streets which have alleys, driveways should not be permitted from the front of the house.
- On corner lots, a driveway to the garage may be provided off the side street.
- 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 other houses along the street.
- The front façade of new houses should be about the same width as original houses on the block.
- New foundations should be about the same height as the original houses in the neighborhood.
- If greater height is to be created (with new construction or an addition), that portion of the house should be located toward the side or rear of the property.
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 feet 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. Wrought iron columns and other materials that were not used in the early 1900's should not be used.
- Small stoops centered on entry and no more than 5 feet deep are appropriate on blocks where porches were not traditional.
- The front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to other houses along the street.
- 6. Windows and Doors
- When constructing new houses, the window 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 window 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 Heart of Knoxville neighborhoods.
- New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block
- 8. Siding Material
- Clapboard-like materials (such as cement fiberboard) should be used in constructing new housing where painted wood siding was traditionally used.
- Brick, wood shingle, and other less common material may be appropriate in some older neighborhoods, particularly those with a mix of architectural styles.
- Faced stone, vertical siding, and other non-historic materials should not be used in building new houses. In 1930-1950 era neighborhoods, faced stone may be appropriate (see Section 12).
- Clapboard-like materials (such as cement fiberboard) 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 in fill lots with 25 feet or more in depth to front of house.
- 1. Front Yards
Meeting Date
November 15, 2023
Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District
1706 Ohio Ave. 37921
RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood)
Applicant / Owner
