Design Review Board

Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District

3-C-22-IH

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 3-C-22-IH, subject to the following conditions:
1) Final site plan to reflect City Engineering and Stormwater comments; any modifications to driveway or parking to meet Infill Housing design guidelines;
2) Any substantial deviation on final plats from the proposed subdivision of land to require further review by the DRB;
3) Final elevation drawings and foundation design to reflect Engineering's requirements for finished floor elevation, along with the required zero step entry, with modifications to be approved by staff.


Location
3314 McPherson St. 37921

Owner
City of Knoxville

Applicant Request
New Primary Structure
1. The average front setback of the blockface is 17'. The applicant has proposed a front setback of 14' to respect a 30' blue line stream buffer and existing trees to the rear of the property line. The proposed front setback for 3314 McPherson Street will be reflected in the adjacent new construction at 3312 and 3318 McPherson Street and create a consistent front yard space along the block. The house is centered on the lot, with side setbacks of 16'. The site plan includes a walkway from the front door to the street.

2. The proposal for 3314 McPherson Street incorporates a proposed subdivision of land (reflected on engineer's survey drawings. Platting the three properties of 3312, 3314, and 3318 McPherson Street into three even lots of 77.38', 60', and 60' wide (respectively) will create more consistently-sized lots with evenly-spaced houses.

The provided lot dimensions are sufficient for the Design Review Board to review the "request for subdivision approval" (16.6.D) for the three new lots to be created. If there are any substantial deviations from the proposed lot size and layouts on the final plats, final plats will require further review by the DRB.

3. The block features a range of house forms, including infill construction, modified Minimal Traditionals, and a Ranch house. The proposed house is proportionate to the dimensions of the lot. The re-subdivided lots will create consistent side yard setbacks and spacing.

4. The parking is proposed to extend off McPherson Street, with an 11' wide by 38' long concrete driveway. There is no alley on the east side of McPherson Street, and the rear of the property features a blue line stream with a 30' buffer. Alley-accessed parking would not be possible on this property. The proposed driveway meets Infill Housing guidelines for new construction without an alley, placing cars at least 20' behind the front façade of the house with a driveway off the street limited to one lane.

Due to the stream in the rear of the property, there are a number of stormwater requirements associated with the house's finished floor elevation, driveway design, and buffer zone. These items can be addressed in permitting. The final site plan submitted should meet City Engineering's requirements and all modifications to the parking should remain within the Infill Housing design guidelines.

5. The house's three-bay façade is comparable in scale to other houses along the street, with a similar façade width (excluding the Ranch house). The design features sufficient complexity, with a projecting front gable roof massing on the façade. The house features a concrete slab foundation, which is lower in height than typical historic foundations. However, the concrete slab foundation accommodates an accessibility ramp from the parking to the front porch, meeting a requirement of the City Homemakers Program to provide a zero-step entry. Existing houses on the block have similarly low foundations. City Engineering requires the foundation to be modified to provide a finished floor elevation of 2' above the adjacent road grade; which may require modifications to the elevation drawings and proposed zero step entry.

6. The design incorporates a 12' deep recessed front porch, with columns and trim elements appropriate for the design.

7. The proposed windows and doors meet the design guidelines and are compatible with the neighborhood context, and side elevations feature a sufficient amount of transparency.

8. At 8/12, roof pitch is sufficiently steep for the neighborhood context, and the projecting bay on the façade adds complexity to the overall design. The additional details of different gable siding, full fornice returns, and diamond-shaped attic vents contribute to the overall house.

9. The proposed materials of asphalt shingle cladding, fiber cement lap siding, and a stuccoed foundation meet the design guidelines.

10. Case numbers 3-B-22-IH through 3-F-22-IH are five adjacent new construction projects on two sides of the same block. The applicant has successfully used changes in roof pitch, roof gable details, siding elements, and porch detailing to differentiate the five houses.

11. 3314 McPherson Street does not have the 25' depth to the front property line to require a new shade tree to accompany the new construction, though it will be over 25' to the edge of the pavement. The rear of the lot will retain a significant amount of trees to support the stream buffer.

Staff Comments
New primary residence fronting McPherson Street and subdivision of land. Front-gable roof residence measures 28' wide by 50' long overall, with a 12' deep porch recessed under the primary gable on the left half of the façade, and a front-gable roof massing projecting from the right half. The house is proposed to be set 14.3' from the front property line. The parking extends off McPherson Street on the left side of the house, via a 11' wide by 38' long concrete driveway.

The 8/12 pitch, front-gable roof is clad in asphalt shingles, the exterior is clad in fiber cement lap siding, and the house rests on a slab foundation (clad in stucco on exposed portions). The front gable field features decorative fiber cement shakes and a diamond-shaped attic vent. On the façade (southwest elevation), the recessed porch is supported by square aluminum posts with decorative trim at the porch beam, featuring a one-over-one window adjacent to a half-light door. A lower front-gable roof massing, featuring full cornice returns, fiber cement shakes, and a paired one-over-one window, projects from the right half. There are three bays of windows on the left side elevation and three on the right. A secondary entry is located on the rear elevation. The rear gable field also features decorative fiber cement shakes and a diamond-shaped attic vent.

The proposed new construction is accompanied by the subdivision of land. Three lots (3312, 3314, and 3318 McPherson) originally measured 40' wide (3312), 40' wide (3314) and 120' wide (3318). The subdivision of land will create one 77.38' wide lot (3312), one 60' wide lot (3314), and one 60' wide lot (3318).
Applicant

Elizabeth Elizabeth Eason Elizabeth Eason Architecture LLC Eli


Planning Staff
Lindsay Lanois
Phone: 865-215-3795
Email: lindsay.lanois@knoxplanning.org

Case History