12-I-23-IH

Level III: New Primary Structure

Approved With Conditions

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 12-I-23-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) site plan should be revised to avoid parking in the front yard, with final site plan to be reviewed by staff; 2) house should be moved towards front property line to align with setback pattern of block; 3) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards.

Property Notes / Work to be Completed

- New primary residence fronting Pershing Street. One-story residence features a front-gable roof (6/12 pitch), an exterior of vinyl siding, and foundation clad in "cement wash stucco." The house (26' wide by 44' deep) will be set 29' from the front property line. The parking is proposed for the front yard, featuring a 16' wide concrete pad.
- The façade (north elevation) features a partial-width, front-gable roof porch supported by square 6 by 6 wood posts. The three-bay façade features a centrally-located front door flanked by paired one-over-one windows. The left elevation features one one-over-one window, and the right elevation features two smaller fixed windows. A secondary access is located on the right side 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.
  - On streets without alleys, garages or parking areas should be at least 20 feet behind the front façade of the infill house with access limited to one lane between the street and the front façade.
  - 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.