6-C-25-IH

Level III: New Primary Structure

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 6-C-25-IH subject to the following conditions: 1) meeting all relevant standards of Articles 4.6 and principal use standards, with minor related revisions to be approved by staff; 2) revisions to front setback to meet Article 4.6; 3) revisions to side elevation window design and placement; 4) roof pitch to be revised 6/12 or steeper; 5) siding to be clapboard-style lap siding with an overlap, as opposed to Dutch lap, flush panel, or board-and-batten siding; 6) the final site plan to retain the existing trees as much as possible, including at least one tree in the front yard; 7) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards, with the overall parking area to be reduced in size and access to meet the design guidelines, with major changes to site plan to return to the Board for review; 8) the new subdivision plat to meet Subdivision Regulations, with any major revisions to return to the Board for review.

Case File

Applicant Request

New primary structure.

- 1. Per Article 16.6, design review is required for any request for subdivision approval within the IH Overlay District. Level 1 COAs may be issued by staff when the "design conforms to the adopted design guidelines" (Article 16.6.E.2). As the proposed subdivision plat does not clearly meet the guidelines, it cannot be approved administratively.
- 2. While one proposed new lot is 50' wide and meets the design guidelines, the new 100' lot where the new construction is proposed does not recreate the historic lot widths. However, the new lot will not prevent additional infill construction, as the additional lot width may permit additional units through the Middle Housing Standards, allowing for up to four townhouse units.
- 3. The applicant intends to use Section 4.6 of the zoning code, the Middle Housing standards, which are "intended to promote the development of neighborhood-scale housing forms which are compatible with existing housing in the surrounding area," and "may allow more flexible development of land than is possible under the base district zoning regulations," subject to additional dimensional, design, and parking standards. Middle Housing review occurs separately through Planning staff; the DRB review focuses on how the project meets the Infill Housing design guidelines. However, some elements of Middle Housing review may trigger site plan and building elevation revisions, which would require additional review by the DRB.
- 4. The building is proposed to be set 25' from the front lot line. The average setback of the blockface is 19.9', with adjacent houses at 24' and 27'. Article 4.6 requires buildings to be within 5' of the average of the blockface; the front setback should be revised to be between 14.9' and 24.9' from the front property line. The site plan incorporates walkways from each stoop to the street.
- 5. The proposed parking is accessed from the alley, which is currently unimproved. The parking area is very large, with 8 parking spaces when approximately 3 parking spaces would be required under the Middle Housing standards. The proposed parking area would require additional landscaping buffers based on its overall size, along with potential additional conditions from City Engineering. While the location meets design guidelines, the parking lot size should be reduced. A blue line stream is visible at the rear of the property, which may prohibit alley access. The applicant should work with City Engineering to revise the site plan, reducing the overall size of the parking area and ensuring appropriate treatment to the stream at the rear of the property. Any revisions which affect the placement, footprint, or design of the building would require additional review by the Board.
- 6. The guidelines for multi-unit housing recommend that "new multi-family buildings be designed in scale and context with the early architectural features of the neighborhood." The block to receive new construction features shotgun houses, Minimal Traditionals, Ranch houses, and infill construction, all of which are one-story or one-story with a basement-level garage. The proposed building does not incorporate many details which align with the architectural context. Additional design elements will also be required to meet the Middle Housing standards.
- 7. Guidelines recommend that the height of new housing be similar to houses along the street. The building is 25'-11" tall on the façade, and the rear of the building is 34' tall with the basement along grade. The block features houses with one-story or one-story with a basement-level garage, so the building is significantly taller than the context. The multi-unit townhouse form often necessitates a two-story form, but the Board should discuss the height of the building in the context.
- 8. Guidelines recommend that multi-unit construction incorporate "bays or breaks in the front façade" that "continue the architectural rhythm of the block" and that individual units be "divided into separate sections that are proportionally similar to the original houses on the block." The two-story, projecting, paired front-gable massings indicate the separate units and help break up the large rectangular building, but the design would benefit from additional elements to minimize the height and scale in the context.
- 9. The design incorporates shallow entry stoops supported by two small posts for each unit, which are appropriate in scale for the individual units, and similar to those on other multi-family construction approved by the Board.
- 10. Guidelines recommend that windows and door styles be similar to historic houses on the block, with similar proportions and positioning, and similar ratio of solid to void. The proposed single-hung windows and half-light paneled door are compatible with the context. The location of the single-hung window on the second story, side elevations should be aligned above the window on the first story. The slider windows on the rear elevation and small fixed windows on the side elevations are not compatible with historic window forms; revisions should be made to the side elevation window patterns to address the three fixed windows.
- 11. At least a 6/12 roof pitch is required in the Middle Housing standards to fulfill the "steep" category of roofline; 6/12 is also the minimum pitch recommended by the DRB. The roof pitch should be increased to at least 6/12.
- 12. The asphalt shingles meet design guidelines. The applicant should clarify the proposed foundation material; if it is concrete block or slab, it should be parge-coated or clad in stucco. Design guidelines discourage the use of vertical siding, and board-and-batten siding can be used as an accent material only. The primary siding material should be revised to clapboard-style lap siding with an overlap, as opposed to Dutch lap or flush panel siding.
- 13. Design guidelines recommend that "healthy trees that are outside the building footprint should be preserved. The root area should be marked and protected during construction." Landscaping should be incorporated in the final design, including as screening for the parking area, and should include the existing trees at the rear of the lot that are outside the parking pad. A final landscape plan may be required for permitting

Property Notes / Work to be Completed

- New subdivision plat subdividing one approximately 150' wide by 144' deep lot fronting Ohio Avenue into two lots that are 50' and 100' wide. The 50' wide lot will also have 144' of frontage on the undeveloped Ambrose Avenue right-of-way.
- New four-unit townhouse building fronting Ohio Avenue on the newly-created, 100' wide lot. The building is proposed to be set 25' from the front lot line. Overall, the main massing of the building measures 57'-10" wide (two units are 14'-7.5" wide and two are 14'-3.5" wide) by 46'-9" deep. The building is two stories tall, featuring a 5/12 side-gable roof with two-story, front-gable massings projecting from the façade of each unit. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles, and the foundation material is unspecified but appears to be concrete block. The exterior is clad in board-and-batten siding with horizontal siding used as accents between units on the façade. Parking is a 72' wide by 25'-9.5" deep concrete pad behind the building and is accessed via the alley.
- Each front-gable massing on the façade features paired single-hung windows on the second story, and the first story features a 3' deep entry stoop, with a shed roof supported by two small posts. The left and right elevations each feature three single-hung windows on the first story and one single-hung and three small, fixed windows on the second story. The second story of the rear elevation features a sliding window for each unit and a 3/12 pitch shed roof massing over the deeper first story, which features a full-lite sliding door for each unit with a projecting balcony.

Applicable Guidelines

Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines

- 10. Multi-Unit Housing
  - Multi-unit housing (where permitted by zoning) should have similar front yard space to that of the traditional single-family houses along the street.
  - In zoning districts where multi-unit housing is permitted, the height of the new housing should be similar to the original houses along the street.
  - Multi-unit housing should be designed to continue the architectural rhythm of the block. In addition to the same build-to line, porches, bays and breaks in the front façade should be created to mimic the look of older homes when looking down the block. This should be done by dividing
    the building into separate sections that are proportionally similar to original houses on the block.
  - Parking should be provided behind apartments with access from the alley.
  - Landscaping, including shade trees, should be planted in both front and back yards.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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