1. 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.

2. To accommodate four units, the applicant will re-address the property to front Bragg Street. The proposed front setback of 10' is appropriate for the context, as the east side of Bragg Street primarily features the side elevations of houses, and it meets the Middle Housing requirement of a front setback reflecting the average of the blockface, plus or minus five feet, and no less than ten feet. At 15', the left elevation will be slightly closer to Delaware Ave than the other houses on that block (the adjacent house is 20' from the front property line) but will meet the required corner side setback.

3. The proposed parking is accessed from the alley and located to the immediate right of the house's right elevation. Site plan revisions may be necessary to meet City Engineering and Middle Housing standards. Article 4.6.D notes that parking areas must be set 5' minimum from interior side lot lines; the rightmost parking spot may be required to be removed. Parking is typically required to be angled to back into the alley. Off-street parking is not required by the Middle Housing standards as the site is under 0.25 miles from a traffic route, so the parking may be omitted altogether.

4. 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 property is a corner lot, with frontage on two streets. The surrounding blocks are characterized by 1-story and 1.5-story Queen Anne cottages, Craftsman bungalows, and infill construction, which feature projecting front-gable massings, steeply-pitched roofs, and front porches. The revised elevation drawings attempt to relate to the context via projecting front porches and projecting gable-roof massings.

5. Guidelines recommend that the height of new housing be similar to similar houses along the street. While a multi-unit townhouse form often necessitates an additional story beyond the height of the one- to 1.5-story single family houses along the street, the townhouses are not overly tall, measuring 27'-5" to the top of the roof peak.

6. Guidelines recommend "bays or breaks in the front façade" that "continue the architectural rhythm of the block. The guidelines also recommend the individual units be "divided into separate sections that are proportionally similar to original houses on the block." The proposed design is rectangular in form; revised drawings provide bays to the façade with four two-story, projecting front gable massings and indicate trim and variation in color to distinguish the units and stories of the building.

7. The Bragg Street elevation features a 4' deep, full-length porch recessed under a shed roof and supported by square posts on vinyl-clad piers, a revision from the previous design. The Delaware Street elevation has been revised to feature one secondary entrance recessed under the partial-width, shed-roof front porch.

8. The intent of both the Middle Housing standards and the Infill Housing design guidelines is to avoid blank walls, using porches, bays, and breaks in elevations to mimic the look of older houses when looking down the block. The principal use standards for townhouses (9.3.I) also require at least 15% transparency on all elevations facing the street. The Delaware Street elevation has been revised to feature one secondary entrance, with two bays containing a double-hung window on both stories.

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 application has been revised to incorporate typical double-hung windows instead of square slider windows, and the windows have a more symmetrical arrangement than initially proposed. The placement and proportion of the windows is sufficient for the context.

The secondary door on Delaware Avenue is in a location not consistent with historic front doors. The door could be placed in the same location as the adjacent window. The steel doors with fanlight windows should be revised to be more aligned with the historic context, with specifications provided to staff for approval.

The Board should discuss the placement of doors on the Bragg Street elevation.

9. At least a 6/12 roof pitch is required in the Middle Housing standards to fill the "steep" category of roofline; 6/12 is also the minimum pitch approved by the IH guidelines. The revised roof pitch appears to be 8/12, but the applicant should confirm the roof pitch.

10. The vinyl lap siding should feature a horizontal overlap similar to wood siding instead of Dutch lap siding or flush panels. Changes in siding pattern may assist in breaking up the large rectangular massing.

11. The site plan and renderings include trees and plantings that are atypical of native or naturalized vegetation in East Tennessee. Landscaping should be incorporated in the final design, including as screening for the parking area. A final landscape plan may be required for permitting.

One new townhouse building fronting Bragg Street, containing four units. The main massing of the building is proposed to be set 10' from Bragg Street (front setback), and 15' from Delaware Avenue (left side setback). Overall, the building measures 91'-10" wide (containing two units measuring 24'-9" wide and two units measuring 20'-9" wide) by 25' deep. Parking is proposed to be accessed from the alley and located to the right side of the building.

The building is two stories tall, featuring a side gable roofline (approximately 8/12 pitch). The roof will be clad in asphalt shingles ("selected wood"); the exterior will be clad in vinyl siding and rest on a concrete slab foundation with 1'-6" above grade.

All elevations have been revised. The façade (southwest, fronting Bragg Street) features four two-story, projecting front gable massings, each with two double-hung windows on both stories. The façade also features a full-length, 4' deep front porch recessed under a shed roof and supported by posts with vinyl-clad piers, and each unit features a paneled steel door, with corner board and trim distinguishing the separate units. The left side elevation fronting Delaware Avenue features a 4' deep, one-bay stoop with a secondary entrance, and there are two bays with one double-hung window on both stories. The right side elevation features a secondary entrance with a 3' deep sundeck on the first-story and two bays with one double-hung window on both stories. The rear elevation features eight bays with one double-hung window in all of the first-story bays and in six of the second-story bays; there are two secondary entrances with a 4' deep sundeck. The revised plans indicate that the units and stories will be distinguished by color variation in the vinyl cladding.