Level III: New Primary Structure
4-A-25-IH
Approve Subject To Conditions
APPROVE Certificate 4-A-25-IH, subject to the following condition: 1) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 2) front setback to be revised to align with the blockface, and to include a walkway from the porch to the street.
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 4-A-25-IH, subject to the following condition: 1) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 2) front setback to be revised to align with the blockface, and to include a walkway from the porch to the street.Applicant Request
New primary structure.- 1. The house is proposed to be set 28' from the front property line. The average front setback of the block is 7.5' (with measurements to the full-length front porches), with the adjacent houses at 7' and 11'. The house should be moved to 18' from the front property line, which will allow the front porch to be 10' from the front property line and aligned with the block. The final site plan should include a walkway from the front porch to the sidewalk.
- 2. The block to receive new construction is characterized by shotguns and Craftsman bungalows. The 24' deep by 48' wide house is proportionate to other houses on the block and the lot.
- 3. Parking is a concrete pad at the rear of the property and is accessed via the alley, which meets design guidelines.
- 4. The three-bay, one-story façade is similar in scale, height, and design to the context.
- 5. The design includes a full-length, 8' deep front porch recessed under a projecting front-gable roof supported by four 10" square columns, which meets the design guidelines. The design benefits from the horizontal header, which should be retained.
- 6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles be similar to historic houses on the block with a similar ratio of solid to void. All elevations feature sufficient transparency, and the 6/6 single-hung windows with trim and the paneled door match the historic context.
- 7. The 8/12 roof pitch matches the neighborhood context, and the design benefits from the overhanging eaves and rake mold trim.
- 8. The asphalt shingles, vinyl lap siding, and slab foundation either clad in stucco or parge-coated meet the design guidelines.
- 9. The final site plan includes a native or naturalized shade tree in the front and rear yards.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- New primary structure fronting Johnston Street. One-story residence features an exterior of vinyl lap siding with corner boards, a front-gable roof (8/12 pitch) clad in asphalt shingles with 1' eave overhangs, and a slab foundation to be clad in stucco or parge-coated. The house is 24' wide by 48' deep and the main massing will be set 28' from the front lot line. It features a full-length, 8' deep porch recessed under a front-gable roof and supported by four 10" square columns. Parking is an 18' wide by 25' deep concrete pad at the rear of the property and is accessed via the alley. The site plan indicates a native or naturalized shade tree in the front and rear yards.
- The façade (southwest) features three bays, with a window in the left and right bays and a quarter-lite paneled door in the central bay, and the projecting front-gable massing features a horizontal header and rake end trim. The left elevation features three windows, and the right elevation features two windows and a full-lite secondary entrance with a concrete landing. The rear elevation features one window. All windows are 6/6, single-hung and drawings indicate trim and projecting sills
Applicable Guidelines
Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines
See 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.
- Consistent front yard space should be created along the street with the setback of a new house matching the older houses on the block.
- 2. Housing Orientation
- New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
- On corner lots, side yard setbacks should be handled traditionally (that is, closer to the side street). The zoning requirement to treat corner lots as having two frontages should not apply in Heart of Knoxville neighborhoods.
- Side yard setbacks should be similar to older houses on the block, keeping the rhythm of spacing between houses consistent.
- New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
- 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.
- On streets without alleys, garages or parking pads 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.
- Garages which are perpendicular to the alley should be about 18 feet from the center line of the alley pavement, allowing a comfortable turning radius for a driver to enter a garage.
- 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.
- On corner lots, a driveway to the garage may be provided off the side street.
- Parking should not be in front yards.
- 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.
- If greater height is to be created (with new construction or an addition), that portion of the house should be located toward the side or rear of the property.
- The front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to other houses along the street.
- 5. Porches and Stoops
- Porches should be part of the housing design in those neighborhoods where porches were commonplace.
- Porches should be proportional to original porches on the block, extending about 8-12 feet toward the street from the habitable portion of the house.
- Porches should extend into the front yard setback, if necessary, to maintain consistency with similarly sited porches along the street.
- Porch posts and railings should be like those used in the historic era of the neighborhood's development. Wrought iron columns and other materials that were not used in the early 1900's should not be used.
- Small stoops centered on entry and no more than 5 feet deep are appropriate on blocks where porches were not traditional.
- Porches should be part of the housing design in those neighborhoods where porches were commonplace.
- 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).
- Contemporary windows such as "picture windows" should not be used in pre-World War II neighborhoods.
- When constructing new houses, the window and door styles should be similar to the original or historic houses on the block.
- 7. Roof Shapes and Materials
- New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block
- More complex roofs, such as hipped roofs and dormers, should be part of new housing designs when such forms were historically used on the block.
- Darker shades of shingle were often used and should be chosen in roofing houses in Heart of Knoxville neighborhoods.
- New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block
- 8. Siding Material
- Clapboard-like materials (such as cement fiberboard) should be used in constructing new housing where painted wood siding was traditionally used.
- Brick, wood shingle, and other less common material may be appropriate in some older neighborhoods, particularly those with a mix of architectural styles.
- 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).
- Clapboard-like materials (such as cement fiberboard) should be used in constructing new housing where painted wood siding was traditionally used.
- 11. Landscape and Other Considerations
- One native or naturalized shade tree should be planted in the front and rear yards of in fill lots with 25 feet or more in depth to front of house.
- 1. Front Yards
Meeting Date
April 16, 2025
Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District
3004 Johnston St. 37921
RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood)
