12-B-23-IH

Level III: New Primary Structure

Approved With Conditions

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 12-B-23-IH subject to the following conditions: 1) applicant to provide final measurements on front porch depth and setback from main massing to front property line; front setback revisions to align house with streetscape as needed, to be approved by staff; 2) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 3) front porch to measure 8' in depth and feature posts that are at least 6 by 6; 4) revisions to side elevation windows, to be approved by staff.

Property Notes / Work to be Completed

- New primary residence fronting Connecticut Avenue. One-story residence features a front-gable roof (6/12 pitch), an exterior of horizontal siding (no material specified), and a concrete block foundation. The front porch will be set 21.54' from the front property line. The parking will be located to the rear of the house, accessed from the alley.
- The façade (south elevation) features a partial-width, front-gable roof porch supported by square wood posts. The three-bay façade features a centrally-located front door flanked by paired one-over-one windows. The right elevation features one one-over-one window, and the left elevation features two smaller slider windows. A secondary access is located on the rear elevation.

Applicable Guidelines

Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design 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.
- 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.
- 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.
  - 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.
- 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.
- 5. Porches and Stoops
  - Small stoops centered on entry and no more than 5 feet deep are appropriate on blocks where porches were not traditional.
- 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 facade 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).
- 7. Roof Shapes and Materials
  - New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block.
  - Darker shades of shingle were often used and should be chosen in roofing houses in Heart of Knoxville neighborhoods.
- 8. Siding Materials
  - Clapboard-like materials (such as cement fiberboard) 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. In 1930-1950 era neighborhoods, faced stone may be appropriate (see Section 12).
- 11. Landscaping and Other Considerations
  - One native or naturalized shade tree should be planted in the front and rear yards of infill lots with 25 feet or more in depth to front of house.
- 12. Small Lot 1930-1950 Era Houses
  - Porches and Stoops: in blocks where entrances are dramatized by stoops, infill housing should feature a stoop (measuring 4 to 5 feet in depth) or a covered porch (6 to 8 feet in depth; 60 square feet, minimum). Porches should not be added to Tudor Revival-style houses.