8-C-23-IH

Level III: New Primary Structure

Approved With Conditions

Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 8-C-23-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 2) foundation to reflect foundation height of existing houses on block and be clad in stucco; 3) final siding materials to meet Infill Housing design guidelines; 4) revisions to placement of side elevation windows, with approval by staff; 5) revisions to differentiate from adjacent new house at 1723 Texas Avenue, with approval by staff.

Property Notes / Work to be Completed

- New primary residence fronting Texas Avenue. The one-story house is 25' wide by 50' long, with a front gable roof (8/12 pitch, clad in an unspecified material) and a centrally located porch projecting 8' covered by a smaller front gable roof (8/12 pitch). The house will be clad in vinyl lap siding and feature six 6/6 double-hung windows and one 4/4 double hung window. The house is proposed to be set 25' from the front property line, on a concrete foundation. Parking is proposed to be a 22' wide (483 square feet) concrete parking pad located behind the house and accessed via the alley.
- The façade (north) features a centrally located door flanked by two 6/6 double-hung windows on each side. The left elevation features one 6/6 double-hung window and one smaller 4/4 double-hung window. The right elevation features paired 6/6 double-hung windows and one smaller 6/6 double-hung window. The rear elevation features a centrally located door opening to an uncovered landing, flanked by one 6/6 double-hung window on the right.
- The proposed house is identical to the proposed new construction at 1723 Texas Avenue (8-D-23-IH).

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 are sited, 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 Lots
  - 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.
  - 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.
- 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, antebellum columns and other materials that were not used in the early 1900's should not be used.
- 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 Materials
  - 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.
- 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.