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Level III: Capitol Lofts
3-A-22-DT
Approve Subject To Conditions
APPROVE Certificate 3-A-22-DT, subject to the following conditions:1)  Final site plan and parking garage to meet City Engineering standards;2)  Any mechanical equipment or service utilities incorporated in construction drawings should be placed in secondary elevations and receive screening as necessary;3)  Receiving the necessary variances at the 4/19/2022 BZA meeting;4)  Final project to comply with PILOT and/or all other applicable redevelopment agreements with the City of Knoxville;5)  Landscaping plan, signage package, and garage screening proposal to return to Design Review Board as a separate application.
Case File
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 3-A-22-DT, subject to the following conditions:
1)  Final site plan and parking garage to meet City Engineering standards;
2)  Landscaping plan to be provided at permitting, meeting standards of City zoning code (12.2) and design guidelines;
3)  Any mechanical equipment or service utilities incorporated in construction drawings should be placed in secondary elevations and receive screening as necessary;
4)  Signage to return to Design Review Board as a separate application;
5)  Receiving the necessary variances at the 4/19/2022 BZA meeting;
6)  Final project to comply with PILOT and/or all other applicable redevelopment agreements with the City of Knoxville;
And providing for discussion among the Board related to the overall proposed building mass, scale, and architectural detail.
Applicant Request
Level III: New construction
New, seven-story, multi-family construction on an existing surface parking lot.
    • SUMMARY:  Proposed new seven-story multi-family construction (five stories of residential apartments above two stories of garage parking). The new building is proposed for a site measuring approximately 495' wide along Vine Avenue, approximately 100' deep on the left (west) side, and approximately 85' wide on the right (east) side, with additional land extending to the north. The site is currently a surface parking lot which slopes dramatically downward to the north outside of the garage. Due to the site topography, the building will largely present as five stories on the Vine Avenue (south) elevation, with the parking garage exposed on the north elevation. A ground-level pool deck extends approximately 90' along the west end of the building, towards the left (west) property line. 
    • SITE LAYOUT AND ACCESS: The building is accessed by Vine Avenue. One approximately 27' wide, two-way asphalt driveway extends northwest off the Vine Avenue, leading to the lower level of parking (P2) on the east elevation. A second access, measuring approximately 20' wide, extends northwest off Vine towards the middle of the building, leading to the first level of parking (P1). There is no internal circulation between P1 and P2. 
    • There are two pedestrian accesses off Vine Avenue, one closer to the east accessing a private residential stairwell and one closer to the west, accessing a stair and the leasing office/club area. 
    • DESIGN ELEMENTS:  The flat-roof building rests on a two-story painted concrete garage with horizontal fenestrations along the north elevation. The design features alternating vertical bands of brick veneer; fiber cement panels of multiple colors; projecting metal balconies; and a faux-wood fiber cement siding. Windows are full-light storefront windows with full-light entry doors to the balconies. Towards the east elevation is an "urban light house," a flat-roof, illuminated interior space that extends approximately 7.5' above the roofline. The "urban light house" incorporates opaque glazing, backlit with multi-colored LED lighting. Flat-roof awnings are centered over the pedestrian entries. 
    • The applicant has included a secondary color/material submittal with the same alternating vertical bands of brick veneer; fiber cement panels of multiple colors; and a faux-wood fiber cement siding.
    • On the south elevation (fronting Vine Avenue) and the east elevation (visible from Vine Avenue and Gay Street), the applicant proposes to screen the parking garage with a living wall (vertical bands of vegetation), illuminated with T5 LED lights. 
    • At the southwest corner of the building, an approximately 20' by 20', hipped roof structure clad in fiber cement paneling serves as pool equipment storage. 
    • Proposed landscaping includes the planting of 11-12 trees between the building and Vine Avenue, along with planters enclosing the pool area. The project also necessitates the installation of multiple retaining walls, including one along the north elevation of the building and one on the left side of the Vine Avenue elevation.
    • There is no exterior mechanical equipment depicted in the elevation drawings. Depicted lighting includes exterior sconces by pedestrian entry doors and under-soffit lighting along the roofline.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
    • 1.  The property occupies a unique site in the Downtown Grid subdistrict. The surrounding area is characterized by smaller-scale, historic development patterns to the northwest along Gay Street and Jackson Avenue, intermittent new or modern construction fronting Vine Avenue, and the historic Catholic church building. The site sits at the top of a steep hill which slopes down to Jackson Avenue. 
    • 2.  The parking lot incorporates two separate access points to each parking level.  City Engineering has provided comments on the parking layout and access points; these can be addressed in permitting. Final site plan and parking layout should meet City Engineering standards. From a DRB perspective, the proposed parking garage access points meet the intent of the design guidelines, as they will not create safety issues for pedestrians. Guidelines do encourage providing "for retail, residential, or office uses that line the garage," which may not be feasible on this property. 
    • 3.  Guidelines note that new parking facilities should be designed to be "attractive, compatible additions to downtown" and incorporate fencing or screening where parking facilities abut public sidewalks. The applicant has incorporated a "living wall" to mitigate the two levels of painted concrete garage structure which will be significantly visible on the south and east elevations (Vine Avenue). The two levels of parking will be significantly visible from points north of the building. The Board should discuss the living wall detail and whether that sufficiently screens the parking garage and meets the intent of the guidelines. 
    • 4.  The design incorporates alternating vertical bands of materials (stucco, patterned fiber cement panels, and brick veneer), projecting balconies, and recessed full-light windows. There is a sufficient amount of upper-level transparency on all elevations; the proposal avoids large swaths of siding with no windows. The guidelines recommend dividing large buildings into "'modules' that are similar in scale to traditional downtown buildings" with a "recognizable base, middle, and top on all exposed elevations." There is not a consistent building pattern along this block (compared to existing blocks of Gay Street, for example). The Board should discuss the overall mass and scale of the building, and the tactic of vertical bands to break up the massing. 
    • 5.  Due to the overall design of five residential stories and two stories of parking, the proposed building does not include any commercial or retail uses on the first story. Many guidelines encourage incorporating first floor uses that are open to pedestrians and draw walk-in traffic. Related to that goal are additional guidelines to create a "largely transparent and consistent rhythm of entrances and windows" on the ground floor. This application does not meet those guidelines; pedestrians on Vine Avenue will experience painted concrete parking garage walls, two small private entrances to apartment stairwells, and a recessed, fenced pool deck. 
    • 6.  Guidelines recommend the use of building materials that "relate to the scale, durability, color, and texture of the predominate building materials in the area." The area does not demonstrate much continuity in materials. The applicant has provided two color schemes. In the opinion of staff, the "wood tone" fiber cement siding on the second color option does not complement the character of downtown Knoxville, as unfinished wood siding would not have been applied to multi-story downtown buildings. 
    • 7.  Guidelines encourage maintaining sight lines to historic buildings that were originally located in an open setting. The application incorporates a pool deck area on the west end of the property (above the parking garage) to reduce visual intrusions to the historic church building. 
    • 8.  The application only includes a few new street trees shown along Vine Avenue. A complete landscaping plan will be required for permitting; the plan should "use landscape elements to define the sidewalk edge" per the guidelines and meet City zoning standards. 
    • 9.  The application does not include details on lighting or mechanical equipment and service utilities. Any exterior mechanical equipment or service utilities should be located on secondary elevations and receive screening as necessary to meet design guidelines. Lighting should meet City standards for exterior lighting (10.2). 
    • 10.  The signs depicted on the elevation drawings do not contain sufficient information for the DRB's review at this time. Moreover, the proposed signs are large in size to be located on all elevations of a solely residential building. A separate signage application should be submitted to the DRB for further review.
    • 11.  The applicant is seeking several variances from the Board of Zoning Appeals at the April 19, 2022 meeting (4-A-22-VA):  increasing the maximum permitted build-to-zone distance from 5 feet to 28'-5", reducing the minimum required ground floor transparency percentage from 30% to 22.98%; and increasing the maximum distance permitted between building entries from 50' to 148'.
Applicable Guidelines
Downtown Design Guidelines
    • A.  Public Realm
    • 3.  Parking Facilities:  it is important to ensure that parking facilities (both public and private) are safe, accessible, and clearly marked. New parking facilities should be designed to be attractive, compatible additions to downtown. In general, new parking facilities should remain subordinate to the street scene. 
    • 3a.  Create parking garages that do not contain blank walls. Allow for future commercial uses that may not be feasible at the time of construction.
    • 3b.  Locate parking garages under structures, or provide for retail, residential, or office uses that line the garage. Corner locations are preferable for commercial uses.
    • 3d.  Screen surface lots, where they abut a public sidewalk, with decorative walls, fencing, and landscaping.
    • 36.  Access to parking garages should not limit options for future development of contiguous or adjoining space, especially on corners. 
    • B.  Private Realm
    • 1.  Building Mass, Scale, and Form
    • Building form should be consistent with the character of downtown as an urban setting and should reinforce the pedestrian activity at the street level. Creating pedestrian-scale buildings, especially at street level, can reduce the perceived mass of buildings. Historically, building technology limited height and subsequently created pedestrian-scaled buildings typically less than 10 stories. Building technology no longer limits the height of buildings, however, there is still a need for buildings that respond to pedestrians. The use of 'human-scale' design elements is necessary to accomplish this. Human-scale design elements are details and shapes that are sized to be proportional to the human body, such as upper-story setbacks, covered entries, and window size and placement. 
    • 1a.  Maintain a pedestrian-scaled environment from block to block.
    • 1b.  Foster air circulation and sunlight penetration around new buildings. Buildings may be designed with open space, as allowed under existing DK zoning; or buildings may be 'stepped back' on upper floors with lower floors meeting the sidewalk edge. 
    • 1c.  Use building materials, cornice lines, signs, and awnings of a human scale in order to reduce the mass of buildings as experienced at the street level. 
    • 1d.  Divide large buildings into 'modules' that are similar in scale to traditional downtown buildings. Buildings should be designed with a recognizable base, middle, and top on all exposed elevations. 
    • 1e.  Avoid blank walls along street-facing elevations.
    • 2.  Building Location
    • It is important to establish a strong relationship among buildings, sidewalks, and streets. This is typically accomplished through consistent setbacks that locate buildings on the same line.
    • 2a.  Set buildings back five feet in order to provide wider sidewalk space when new construction in non-historic areas is to be more than half the length of the block. 
    • 2b.  Consider using landscape elements to define the sidewalk edge where a building is to be set back from the sidewalk.
    • 2c.  Maintain sight lines to historic buildings that were originally located in an open setting, providing setbacks for new buildings next to historic structures in order to preserve views.
    • 2d.  Limit grade separations above or below the sidewalk, generally no more than 3 feet. Allow for clear sightlines into and out of buildings and plazas.
    • 3.  Building Materials
    • New building materials should relate to the scale, durability, color, and texture of the predominate building materials in the area. 
    • 3a.  Use complimentary materials and elements, especially next to historic buildings. 
    • 4.  Architectural Character
    • Buildings should be visually interesting to invite exploration by pedestrians. A building should express human scale through materials and forms that were seen traditionally. This is important because buildings are experienced at close proximity by the pedestrian. 
    • 4a.  Encourage first floor uses that draw walk-in traffic; businesses that do not require pedestrian traffic should be located on other floors. 
    • 4b.  Enhance pedestrian interest in commercial and office buildings by creating a largely transparent and consistent rhythm of entrances and windows.
    • 4c.  Scale first floor signs to pedestrians.
    • 4d.  Differentiate the architectural features of ground floors from upper floors with traditional considerations such as show-windows, transoms, friezes, and sign boards.
    • 4e.  Design top floors to enhance the skyline of the block through cornices and details that are harmonious with adjacent architecture.
    • 4f.  Encourage the use of "green roofs" and other sustainable practices, while minimizing the visual impact from the street.
    • 5.  Ground Floor Doors and Windows
    • Entrances and ground floor windows should foster pedestrian comfort, safety, and orientation. Not every building downtown needs to have the same window or entry designs; however, repeating the pattern of historic openings helps to reinforce the character of downtown, differentiating it from suburban areas.
    • 5a.  Use consistent rhythm of openings, windows, doorways, and entries.
    • 5b.  Orient primary front entrances to the main street; secondary entrances should be clearly defined and oriented to streets or alleys, as appropriate. 
    • 5c.  Design entrances according to the proportions of the building's height and width.
    • 5f.  Recess ground floor window frames and doors from the exterior building face to provide depth to the façade. 
    • 6.  Residential Buildings
    • Solely residential buildings, such as townhouses and apartment buildings, are rare in downtown Knoxville. Privacy and safety are concerns with residential units that meet the sidewalk. Mixed use buildings, with apartments above shops or offices, can avoid these challenges and add to downtown vitality.
    • 6a.  Elevate the first floor of townhouses and apartment buildings so that pedestrians cannot look directly into the residence from the street level. 
    • 6b.  Design entrances to residential buildings so that access is separated from pedestrian flow on the sidewalk.
    • 6c.  Encourage the development of mixed-use buildings with apartments over lower-story commercial uses. 
    • 7.  Mechanical Equipment and Service Utilities
    • 7a.  Minimize the visual impact of mechanical equipment through screens or recessed/low-profile equipment.
    • 7b.  Do not locate units on a primary façade.
    • 7c.  Screen rooftop vents, heating/cooling units, and related utilities with parapet walls or other screens. Consider sound-buffering as part of the design. 
    • 7d.  Locate utility connections and service boxes on secondary walls. 
    • 7f.  Screen dumpsters from view.
See Guidelines
Meeting Date
April 20, 2022
Capitol Lofts
305 W. Vine Ave.
DK (Downtown Knoxville)
Applicant
Leigh Burch
Owner Burch Vine LLC
Staff
Lindsay Lanois
Phone: 865-215-3795
Email: lindsay.lanois@knoxplanning.org
Case History
Date Filed
February 25, 2022
Date Heard
April 20, 2022
Case File
Case History