8-B-21-IH

Level III: Three New Primary Structures; Subdivision Of Three Parcels

Approved With Conditions

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 8-B-21-IH, with the following conditions:
1) Any substantial deviation on final plats from the proposed subdivision of land to require further review by the Board;
2) Fire separation standards to be met, while still allowing for windows on side elevations, via the required width of construction restriction zones on the final plats;
3) Final plats, parking, and site plans to meet City Engineering standards;
4) Meeting façade transparency requirements of I-MU zoning.

And providing for discussion from the Board on the proposed two-story glass block walls on all three designs, and the proposed window design and placement.

Property Notes / Work to be Completed

- OVERALL
- Subdivision of three parcels of land and design review for three new single-family houses as part of a broader mixed-use development on an approximately 8-acre property in Lincoln Park which previously held manufacturing facilities and other industrial uses. Applicant has already rezoned the property from I-H (Heavy Industrial) to I-MU (Industrial Mixed-Use) to allow for compatible commercial, single-family residential, and multi-family residential uses.
- SUBDIVISION OF LAND
- Three subdivisions of land fronting Oswald Street. New subdivided parcels are located at the northeast corner of the development, fronting Oswald Street, but do not include the northmost parcel (which will be subdivided and platted at a later date). The parcel labeled as PLAT 1 in the drawings (p.8) measures 32' wide and 63'-9" long. The parcel labeled as PLAT 2 measures 32' wide and 65'-3" long. The parcel labeled PLAT 3 measures 32' wide and 66'-8" long.
- HOUSE 1
- New primary residence fronting Oswald Street (on parcel labeled PLAT 1). Two-story house measuring 20' wide by 41'-6" long, with an additional 7' deep front porch and a 7' deep rear porch. The two-story house features a 10/12 pitch front-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of wood or HardiePlank lap siding with a 6" exposure, and a CMU foundation which slopes towards the front with the site's topography, measuring approximately 1'-4" tall at the façade. The façade features a centered, 7' deep by 18' wide, hipped-roof porch. The porch is supported by a 4" round steel column on the right side and a vertical screen wall of 2 by 6 wood planks.
- The façade features three adjoining single-light casement windows followed by a half-light door on the first story. The second story features two single-light 30" by 54" casement windows. On the right (north) elevation, a two-story, approximately 18' wide swath of glass block is topped by a low-pitch (2/12) shed roof which intersects the main roofline. The left (south) elevation features a 30" by 60" single-light window towards the rear and paired single-light casement windows close to the façade on the first story, and three single-light windows on the second story. A 7' deep corner porch (recessed under the primary roof gable) is located on the rear elevation, accessed by three sets of 7' tall French doors topped by transom windows. A small balcony is centered on the second story.
- Parking is provided by a 10' wide by 48'-8" long strip driveway on the north (right) side of the lot. The house is proposed to be set approximately 11' from the end of the front porch to the proposed sidewalk which will extend along Oswald Street. The site plan includes a walkway from the sidewalk to the front door.
- HOUSE 2
- New primary residence fronting Oswald Street (on parcel labeled PLAT 2). Two-story house measuring 20' wide by 39' long, with an additional 8'-6" deep front porch and an 8' deep rear porch. The two-story house has a 10/12 pitch front-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of wood lap or HardiePlank siding with a 6" exposure, and a CMU foundation which measures approximately 1'-4" at the façade. The façade features an 8'-6" deep full-length front porch which is recessed below the house's second story, supported by square columns (two pairs on the side and one centrally-located). The porch is enclosed by a wood lattice screen wall on the left (south) elevation.
- The façade features two centered 30" by 60" single-light casement windows, followed by an 8' tall half-light door. On the second story, there are three 30" by 54" single-light windows, sited somewhat off-center to the right. The right (north) elevation features a series of single-light casement windows, with four (two single and one pair) on the first story and four on the second story. The left (south) elevation features a two-story, approximately 10'-12' wide glass block wall. The glass block wall is topped by another low-pitch (2/12) shed roof. The rear elevation features three pairs of single-light casement windows on the second story, with three sets of 7' tall French doors on the first story. A hipped-roof porch extends from the rear elevation, supported by 8 by 8 wood columns.
- Parking is provided by a 10' wide by 49'-2" long strip driveway on the north (right) side of the lot. The house is proposed to be set approximately 10'-11" from the end of the front porch to the proposed sidewalk which will extend along Oswald Street. The site plan includes a walkway from the sidewalk to the front door.
- HOUSE 3
- New primary residence fronting Oswald Street (on parcel labeled PLAT 3). Two-story house measuring 20' wide by 46'-10" long, with an additional 8' deep rear porch. The two-story house features a 10/12 pitch hipped roof with a front-gable massing projecting to the front, and a one-story hipped corner porch. The roof is clad in asphalt shingles, with an exterior clad in 6" wood lap or HardiePlank siding, and a CMU foundation which measures 1'-4" tall at the façade.
- The façade features a two-story, projecting front-gable roof massing on the left side, with three adjoining single-light casement windows on the first story and paired single-light casement windows on the second story. The hipped-roof corner porch is supported by a 6 by 6 wood column, with a half-light door recessed below the porch. The right (north) elevation has a two-story, approximately 18' wide glass block wall, topped by a low-pitch (2/12) shed roof). The south (left) elevation features a single-light picture window on the frontmost bay, with three single-light windows on the second story. An 8' deep, hipped-roof porch is centered on the rear elevation, accessible by three pairs of French doors.
- Parking is provided by a 10' wide by 50'-6" long strip driveway on the north (right) side of the lot. The house will be set approximately 12' from the proposed sidewalk which will extend along Oswald Street. The site plan includes a walkway from the sidewalk to the front door.

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.
  - When several infill houses, porches and the habitable portion of each house should be about the same distance from the street as the original houses.
  - 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. House Orientation and Side Yards
  - New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
  - Side yard setbacks should be similar to older houses on the block, keeping the rhythm of spacing between houses consistent.
  - On lots greater than 50' in width, consider re-creating the original lot size.
- 3. Alleys, Parking, and Services
  - Parking should not be in front yards.
  - Alley access should be used for garage or parking pad locations.
  - On streets without alleys, garages or parking pads should be at least 20' behind the front façade of the infill house with access limited to one lane between the street and the front façade.
  - On those streets which have alleys, driveways should not be permitted from the front of the house.
  - Alley oriented parking pads, garbage collection points, and utility boxes should be screened with a combination of landscaping and fencing.
- 4. Scale, Mass, and Foundation Height
  - The front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to the other houses along the street.
  - The front façade of new houses should be about the same width as original houses on the block.
  - If extensions or bays were typically part of the neighborhood's historic house design, such elements should be incorporated into infill housing.
  - New foundations should be about the same height as the original houses in the neighborhood.
- 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' 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.
- 6. Windows and Doors
  - When constructing new houses, the windows 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 façade 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 Infill neighborhoods.
- 8. Siding Materials
  - Clapboard-like materials 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.
- 11. Landscape and Other Considerations
  - One native or naturalized shade tree should be planted in the front and rear yards of infill lots with 25 feet or more in depth to front of house.