7-B-25-IH

Level III: New Primary Structure

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 7-B-25-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 2) final site plan to include a tree in the rear yard and the existing magnolia tree to be retained and protected during construction; 3) the porch supports to be at least 8" by 8"; and 4) the foundation to be parge-coated or clad in stucco.

Case File

Applicant Request

New primary structure.

- 1. The house is proposed to be set 45' from the front lot line. The average front setback of the block is 33.1', with the adjacent house at 31'. The large front setback is intended to protect the root system of the large, existing magnolia tree near the southern lot line, and the plans have been revised from last month to feature a half-length porch to reduce the front setback to 45', with the main massing set 53.5' from the front lot line. The City's Urban Forester recommended that the side of the house closest to the tree be set back 51-55' from the front lot line for the long-term health of the tree.
- The 45' setback in the revised plans would not meet the front setback standards of the base zoning and would thus require a variance via the Certificate of Appropriateness issued by the Design Review Board. The Board can issue variances if they are necessary "in order to realize the principles associated with the guidelines." The Board previously approved a front setback of 45'-1" in 2022. In the opinion of staff, the revised design and front setback meet the intent of the design guidelines by allowing the tree to be preserved without significantly disrupting the setback pattern of the block.
- 2. Parking is a concrete pad at the rear of the lot and accessed via the side street, Seymour Avenue, which meets the design guidelines. The site plan includes a walkway from the front porch to the street. The final site plan should meet City Engineering standards.
- 3. The final site plan should include a native or naturalized shade tree in the rear yard, and the existing magnolia tree in the front yard should be retained and protected during construction.
- 4. The block to receive new construction is characterized by one-story Minimal Traditionals, Craftsman bungalows, and English Cottage Revivals, with two-story houses to the north end of the block and one in the center of the block. The 27' wide by 57'-5" deep house is generally proportionate to the dimensions of the lot and historic houses on the block, and the overall massing has been reduced from the previous designs. The design benefits from details like the brick-clad chimney and cornerboards that align with the context.
- 5. The plans that were previously approved by the Board were two-story with a 7/12 front-gable roof and raised foundation to match the historic context. However, the revised plans feature a 10/12 pitch front-gable roof, which will likely increase the height and visual scale of the house. The three two-story houses on the block all feature side-gable roofs, two of which are low-pitch and one with a steeply pitched roof characteristic of its English Cottage Revival style. The Board extensively discussed and ultimately approved the two-story height compared to the context in 2021 and 2022.
- 5. The design features a half-length, 8'-6" deep front porch recessed under a shed roof and supported by two square posts, which meets the design guidelines. The porch supports should be at least 8" by 8" to match the context.
- 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 significant transparency. The 4/4 single-hung windows and half-lite paneled door match the context, and the design benefits from the paired and grouped window arrangements.
- 7. The asphalt shingles and vinyl siding meet the design guidelines for materials. The slab foundation should be parge-coated or clad in stucco. The proposed chimney should be clad in either brick or stone veneer, as indicated.

Property Notes / Work to be Completed

- Revised design for new primary residence fronting Orlando Street. The initial submission was approved with conditions by the Design Review Board in 2021 (12-A-21-IH), and the elevation drawings were later revised and approved by the Board in 2022 (5-A-22-IH). The revised proposal makes significant modifications to the previously approved site plan and elevations.
- Two-story residence features an exterior of vinyl lap siding, a 10/12 pitch front-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, and a slab foundation. The house will be 27' wide by 57'-5" deep (including the front and rear porches) and is proposed to be set 45' from the front lot line. It features a half-length, 8'-6" deep front porch with a shed roof supported by two square posts. Parking is a concrete pad in the rear yard, accessed via the side street, Seymour Avenue.
- The façade (west) features two bays, with paired windows in each bay on the second story and three grouped windows in the right bay of the first story and a half-lite paneled door under the porch in the left bay. The right-elevation features one window and a set of paired windows on the second story and two windows and three grouped windows on the first story. It also features a balcony recessed under the primary roofline and a brick chimney. The left elevation features three windows on the first story and two sets of three grouped windows on the second story. The rear elevation features two windows flanking a secondary entrance to a patio on the first story, and the second story features the rear of the balcony and three grouped windows. All windows are 4/4 and single-hung with trim. The exterior features shakes in the gable fields, cornerboards, and trim dividing the stories.

Applicable Guidelines

Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design 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.
- 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.