Design Review Board

Oakwood/Lincoln Park Infill Housing Overlay District

5-A-21-IH

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 5-A-21-IH, with the following conditions:
1) Modify front setback to be more consistent with adjacent properties;
2) Add a walkway from the front door to the sidewalk;
3) Parking to meet City Engineering requirements (including modified placement on west side of lot);
4) Verify foundation height to be consistent with historic properties;
5) Locate an additional window on the right elevation and omit non-operable façade shutters;
6) Exterior siding to be lap siding with an overlap instead of Dutch lap or flush panels;
7) Incorporate one native or naturalized tree in both front and rear yards.


Location
2504 Harvey St. 37917

Owner
Monty Monty Fairchild

Applicant Request
New Primary Structure
1. The house is proposed to be located 25' from the front property line (17' from the front porch to the front property line). The average front setback of the blockface is 19'. The adjacent properties feature recessed front porches and are set 12' and 15' from the front property line. The house's main massing should be set slightly closer to the front property line to maintain consistent front yard space with the block (between 20' and 23' from the front property line). The site plan should reflect accurate porch proportions (8' deep on site plan, 6' deep on elevation drawings). A walkway should extend from the front door to the sidewalk.

2. The block is characterized by one- to 1.5-story Queen Anne cottages (most with later-added Craftsman-style porches) and a few Craftsman houses. The proposed one-story Craftsman-style house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot and the other houses on the block. The proposed side yard setbacks, set slightly closer to the right (southeast) side of the lots, are relatively consistent with the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.

3. The proposed parking meets Infill Housing design guidelines as it extends from an operable alley and will be located behind the primary residence. City Engineering has noted the location of a catch basin and a pipe on the back yard of the property, which will remain physically located on the property and should be shown on the site plan. The parking area should be moved to the west side of the lot to avoid issues and driveway material should be provided on the final site plan. Parking should meet City Engineering requirements (and overall site plan should remain below impervious surface limits).

4. Overall, the one-story, three-bay façade is similar in scale and width to the context. The foundation height should be verified to be consistent with the adjacent houses.

5. The site plan depicts an 8' front porch, while floor plan drawings show a 6' deep porch; this discrepancy should be addressed. A wood deck is shown on drawings, but not on the site plan. Final site plan should reflect what will be built. The half-width, front-gable roof porch will be consistent with the similarly-sized, projecting, front-gable roof porches on the remainder of the block.

6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles to be comparable to original houses on the block, and maintain a consistent ratio of solid to void. An additional window is needed on the right elevation to create additional transparency. Infill Housing review generally recommends designs omit non-operable shutters that don't appropriately fit the windows.

7. The proposed 7/12 pitch roof meets the design guidelines.

8. Overall materials are appropriate. The siding material should use lap siding with an overlap instead of Dutch lap or flush panel siding. Selecting one accent siding (whether shake or board-and-batten) on the gable fields will help the design better meet the design guidelines.

9. The site plan should incorporate one native or naturalized tree to be planted in the front yard, and one in the rear yard.

Staff Comments
New primary residence fronting Harvey Street. One-story, front-gable roof residence measuring 26' wide by 44' long, featuring a partial-width front-gable roof porch. The proposed parking pad is accessed by the alley and located at the rear of the property, measuring 18' deep by 20' wide.

The house features a 7/12 front-gable roof, clad in architectural shingles, with an exterior of vinyl lap siding and a stuccoed foundation. A front-gable roof porch projects 8' from the right half of the façade, supported by square 6 by 6 wood columns. The proposal includes vinyl vertical siding on the porch gable field and vinyl shake siding on the primary gable. The three-by façade features paired double-hung vinyl windows with non-operable shutters, flanking a centrally-located half-light door. Two double-hung windows are located on the right elevation, with three on the left elevation. A secondary entry on the left elevation opens to a wood deck.

Case History