Design Review Board
Level 3: Construction of new building/structure
6-A-14-DT
Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 6-A-14-DT with the following conditions: 1) Rezoning approval by City Council, 2) Use on Review approval by MPC, and 3) The lighting for the rooftop patio shall direct light away from the adjacent residential properties.
Location 912 Henley St
Applicant Request
Construct a new one-story parking garage with a rooftop patio. The garage is intended to be used solely by those using the Lord Lindsey facility. The entrance will be gated and it is intended to be operated manually by an attendant during events.
Site Plan (SP-1):
The parking garage will have access to Henley Street and the rooftop patio will have at-grade access from the Lord Lindsey property. The garage will be setback from the property line 5'-8". The existing sidewalk is 8 feet wide and there will be low landscaping between the sidewalk and the parking structure. There is a walkway between the Hampton Inn and the parking garage from the public sidewalk to a stair toward the rear of the garage that leads to the rear yard of the Lord Lindsey. The walkway is accessible from the parking garage and will be illuminated by down light wall sconces (see sheet A-5). In addition, an underground pedestrian connection is proposed from the parking garage to the basement of the Lord Lindsey facility. The vehicular entrance to the garage will have a gate that will be operated manually by an attendant during events at the facility (see sheet A-4).
Note: The existing parking lot and the Lord Lindsey property are currently two separate parcels that are intended to be combined. The Lord Lindsey property is not within the D-1 (downtown design) overlay, it is in the H-1 (historic) overlay. Any portion of this proposal on the Lord Lindsey parcel is not subject to review by the Downtown Design Review Board. This mainly includes the underground connection and proposed walkway/landscaping between the garage and the Lord Lindsey facility.
Elevations (A-4 & A-5):
The structure has an art deco design and will be clad with brick, rockcast (precast concrete veneer), and concrete. With the exception of the 'right side elevation', all the exterior walls will be predominantly clad in brick above the finished grade. On the 'right side elevation', the block and concrete above grade and below the handrail pillars are proposed to be painted. On the 'left side elevation', the door opening will have a 6-foot tall metal fence with a 42-inch wide lockable gate.
The large ground floor wall openings will have decorative metal in-fill panels with anodized aluminum frames. The parapet handrails (for the rooftop patio) are anodized aluminum. On the front elevation, on the four pilasters there are concrete slant fins with flags mounted on top.
Patio (A-2):
The patio will be at the same elevation as the Lord Lindsey yard and will be accessible via walkways in the yard. The patio will have a sealed concrete deck, anodized aluminum handrails, and full cutoff light fixtures (see attach spec sheet) on 6-foot tall posts located on the pillars (not on the front elevation).
Sign (A-4):
One sign is proposed above the garage entrance. The letters will be made of anodized aluminum with standoff mounts and 'halo' backlighting.
Staff Comments
The parking garage is proposed on an existing surface parking lot that has access only to Henley Street and will be for the exclusive use of the Lord Lindsey facility. The structures to the south (Mary Boyce Temple House and adjacent one story structure) and east (Lord Lindsey's) are in the locally designated Historic (H-1) Overlay District, but are not listed on the National Register. The historic resources section of the guidelines address development adjacent to properties listed on the National Register, but not those that are solely designated locally historic. This is primarily because properties designated H-1 are not regulated by the Downtown Knoxville Design Guidelines and most H-1 designated property are also on the National Register; however, the criteria for reviewing development adjacent to National Register properties should be considered in this case.
Since this proposal is new construction, many of the guidelines are applicable. Listed below are some of those guidelines, with additional comments from staff shown in italics:
Section 1.A - Public Realm
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.
• The size of this parking garage does not allow for commercial space at sidewalk level; however, the rooftop is proposed to be a patio for the use of the Lord Lindsey facility.
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.
• See the note for 3a.
4a: Foster downtown beautification with landscaping and plantings, public art, and public open space.
• Landscaping is proposed at the base of the structure along the Henley Street sidewalk.
4c: Plant street trees where possible. Choose tree planting locations that will not significantly alter the setting of, or harm the materials of historic buildings.
• This site is not conducive to street trees because of the limited sidewalk width and visibility issues.
Section 1.B - Private Realm
1e: Avoid blank walls along street-facing elevations.
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.
• Though the historic structure to the south is not setback from the sidewalk, the garage needs to be setback to allow more space for vehicles to pull out of the Henley Street driving lane while entering the garage and to allow for increased visibility of pedestrians on the sidewalk and vehicles on Henley Street when exiting.
2b: Consider using landscape elements to define the sidewalk edge where a building is to be set back from the sidewalk.
• Landscaping will be provided along Henley Street.
3a: Use complimentary materials and elements, especially next to historic buildings.
Section 2.B.1 - Recommended Signs
1a: Wall signs on sign boards that are above a transom or first story and mounted flush to the building façade.
• The proposed wall sign is on the sign board, above the garage entrance
