Design Review Board

Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District

8-C-24-IH

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 8-C-24-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) Final site plan to meet City Engineering standards and requirements of Plans Review and Inspections; 2) foundation height to be revised to be comparable to the block; 3) front porch to be revised to meet design guidelines; 4) windows to be added to the left side elevation; 5) roof pitch to be elevated to at least 6/12, with final drawings to reflect conditions and submitted to staff for approval prior to permitting.


Location
3201 Johnston St.

Owner
Lobes Lobes Nzohabonimana

Applicant Request
New Primary Structure
1. The house is proposed to be set 23.5' from the front property line. The average front setback of the block is 24.9', with the adjacent house at 26'. The front setback will be consistent with the block, and the site plan includes a walkway to the street.

The property is zoned CN (Neighborhood Commercial), which has no minimum interior side setback unless abutting a residential district, and a 15' corner side setback requirement. The proposed side setbacks are compatible with the context of the block (including the narrow side setbacks) and can be approved by the DRB. Final approval of the corner side and interior side setback will be subject to City Engineering and Building codes review; minor modifications to the site plan could be approved by staff.

2. The block to receive new construction is characterized by Queen Anne houses with similar massings as the proposed new construction. The proposed 1.5-story, four-bay house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot and the context of the block.

3. The proposed parking meets the Infill Housing design guidelines as it is located to the rear of the property and accessed from the alley. Final site plans may be necessary to meet City Engineering standards.

4. The façade is similar in scale and width to the context. Drawings show a slab foundation, which does not reflect the context of the block, where houses are elevated by 1'-2' tall foundations. The final designs should incorporate an elevated foundation.

5. Guidelines recommend a front porch proportional to original porches on the block, extending about 8'-12' deep; the proposed recessed porch is 4'-6" and should be increased in depth to meet the guidelines.

6. Guidelines recommend windows and doors styles similar to historic houses on the block, with similar placement and ratio of solid to void. As proposed, there are no windows on the left elevation, which will front Heiskell Street. Windows should be added to the left side elevation.

Related to the base zone, in the CN zone, building facades along a public right-of-way must not contain blank wall areas that exceed 30 linear feet. The front façade must maintain a minimum transparency of 30%. This requirement can be waived by the DRB via issuance of a COA, based on the fenestration patterns being appropriate for a house.

7. The roof pitch should be elevated to at least 6/12 to be compatible with the design guidelines.

8. Design guidelines discourage vertical siding; the board-and-batten siding should be revised to a horizontal lap siding comparable to historic houses in the neighborhood. The applicant should provide finish details on the foundation.

Staff Comments
New primary structure fronting Johnston Street. 1.5-story-residence features a front-gable roof (5/12 pitch) with a smaller front-gable roof massing projecting from the left half of the façade, and a 4'-6" deep porch recessed under the primary roof slope on the right half of the façade. The house features an exterior of board-and-batten siding and a slab foundation. The house measures 30' wide by 60'-4" deep and will be set 23.6' from the front property line. Parking is located to the rear and accessed from the alley.

The façade (east) is four bays wide, featuring two double-hung windows on the projecting front-gable massing, followed by a door and a pair of double-hung windows recessed on the porch. There are three windows on the right side elevation and zero on the left.
Applicant

Lobes Lobes Nzohabonimana


Planning Staff
Lindsay Lanois
Phone: 865-215-3795
Email: lindsay.lanois@knoxplanning.org

Case History