Level III: New Primary Structure
5-E-25-IH
Applicant Request
New primary structure.- 1. The house is proposed to be set at 37.5' from the front lot line, with the porch at 29.5.' The blockface to receive new construction contains vacant lots and one house, which is set 38' from the front lot line. The proposed setback is appropriate. The final site plan should include a walkway from the front porch to the street.
- 2. The block to receive lacks significant context, as it only contains two houses, which are infill construction. Other blocks on Texas Avenue feature Minimal Traditionals, Shotguns, and modified Queen Anne cottages. The 28' wide by 36' deep house is proportionate to the lot and to nearby houses.
- 3. Infill Housing design guidelines recommend that parking be accessed from the alley, if there is one. Parking is a concrete pad located in the front yard and accessed from Texas Avenue. Parking should be revised to avoid the front yard and be accessed from the rear alley, and the final site plan should meet City Engineering standards.
- 4. The one-story, three-bay façade is similar in scale and height to the context.
- 5. The house features a half-length, 8' deep front porch recessed under a projecting front-gable massing and supported by two 6" square posts made from pressure-treated wood, which meets the design guidelines.
- 6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles be similar to historic houses on the block, with similar placement and ratio of solid to void. The 1/1 single-hung windows and paneled door are appropriate for the context, and all elevations feature sufficient transparency.
- 7. The 6/12 pitch roof is the minimum typically recommended by the guidelines and is appropriate for the context. The design benefits from the roof trim and eave overhangs, which should be retained.
- 8. The asphalt shingles and vinyl lap siding meet the design guidelines. The block foundation should be clad in stucco or parge-coated to meet design guidelines. The final siding material should feature an overlap, as opposed to Dutch lap or flush panel siding.
- 9. The site plan indicates a "new ornamental tree" in the front and rear yards. It should be noted that the design guidelines state that "Healthy trees that are outside the building footprint should be preserved," and that the lot was entirely clear cut prior to the application.
- 10. The applicant is proposing two additional houses adjacent to this one, which are differentiated by variations to the front porch design. The Board should discuss whether any additional differentiation is necessary.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- New primary structure fronting Texas Avenue. One-story residence features a front-gable roof (6/12 pitch) clad in asphalt shingles with overhanging eaves, an exterior of vinyl lap siding, and a block foundation. The house is 28' wide by 36' deep and is proposed to be set 37.5' from the front lot line. It features a half-length 8' deep front porch recessed under a projecting front-gable massing and supported by two 6" square posts made of pressure-treated wood. Parking is a concrete pad (dimensions unspecified) in front of the house and is accessed via Texas Avenue.
- The façade (west) features three bays, with paired windows flanking a paneled door in the central bay and the porch in the right bay. The gable fields of the porch and the main massing are clad in vertical siding. The left elevation features three windows, and the right elevation features two windows. The rear elevation features a secondary entrance with a concrete deck and two windows. All windows are 1/1 and single-hung.
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
May 21, 2025
Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District
924 Texas Ave. 37921
RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood)
