Design Review Board

Oakwood/Lincoln Park Infill Housing Overlay District

2-B-23-IH

Applicant Request

1. The new townhouses are proposed to be set 10' from the front property line at the closest point. The property meets the base zoning requirement for front setback as 10' or the average of the blockface (15.5'), whichever is less. The townhouses are proposed for a 3' side setback on Churchwell Ave; this reduction in the corner side setback can be approved by the DRB per 16.6.D.1. The reduced side setback allows the townhouses to be smaller in height (larger in width), and meet the guidelines of "on corner lots, side yard setbacks should be handled traditionally (that is, closer to the side street)."

2. The block is characterized by modified one-story Queen Anne cottages, Minimal Traditionals, and some infill construction. The parcels to receive new construction are located at the far west end of the Infill Housing overlay, adjacent to industrial development and the rail line. The proposed townhouses meet the stated purpose of the RN-4 zoning district; "applied to neighborhoods characterized by mixed residential development, or identified as areas where that development would be suitable in the future."

3. The guidelines for multi-unit housing note, "in places where multi-unit housing is permitted by zoning, it is essential to neighborhood stability that new apartment buildings be designed in scale and context with the early architectural features of the neighborhood." The proposed townhouses interpret the Craftsman style for seven units which are between 15' and 20' wide.

4. The proposed design uses "porches, bays, and breaks in the front façade" to "continue the architectural rhythm of the block." The individual townhouse units are "divided ... into separate sections that are proportionally similar to original houses on the block." Instead of W. Churchwell Ave, the townhouses will front Worth Street, continuing the pattern along the street.

5. The guidelines do recommend that "the height of new multi-unit housing should be similar to the original houses along the street." The block is characterized by one-story construction, though the lot would serve as a transition to industrial development to the west. The Board may choose to discuss the height.

6. The proposed parking meets Infill Housing design guidelines, located at the rear of the property and behind the new construction. The driveway is provided off the side street. City Engineering has noted multiple site plan items to address related to sidewalks and utility and drainage easements, which can be addressed during the platting process.

7. The front porches are generally compatible with front porches in Craftsman designs, though more shallow than the 8' front porches typically recommended for houses in the Infill Housing overlay.

8. The townhouses feature sufficient transparency via windows and doors on street-facing elevations. The applicant should select 1/1 double-hung or full 3/1 double-hung windows to be "similar to original houses on the block" in the Craftsman style.

9. The townhouse roofs have comparable pitches to original houses on the block, and incorporate sufficient complexity. Minor modifications (such as shifting the first-story gable fields to better align with the massings below) may be necessary.

10. The proposed materials meet the design guidelines. Lap siding with an overlap should be used instead of Dutch lap or flush panel siding on the horizontal-sided sections.

11. Additional design review is required associated with the RN-4 zoning and the townhouse form, which will occur separately from the Infill Housing review. The applicant will be required to meet the base zoning for RN-4 and multi-family (townhouse) dwellings.

Site Info

Two townhouse buildings, one containing three units and one containing four units, on a 157.5' wide lot. The two townhouses are oriented towards Worth Street, with rear surface and attached garage parking accessible via Churchwell Avenue. The townhouses are set 10' from the front (northeast) property line at the closest point and 3' from the left (northwest) side property line.

Two-story, Craftsman-style townhouses feature multiple projecting and recessed front-gable roof massings, with shed-roof porches and front gables on the first story. Townhouse massings are clad in alternating lap and board-and-batten siding, with roofs clad in asphalt shingles and foundations clad in brick veneer. Gable fields are clad in a shingle siding.

Primary entries on the façade feature metal shed roofs with engaged front-gable sections. Double-hung windows are relatively evenly spaced on the façade and side elevations. On the rear elevations, five units contain garage doors.

9.7.23: site plan and elevation drawings meet the relevant principal use standards for townhouses in the RN-4 zoning. Subdivision plat is approved per IH overlay.