Level III: New Primary Structure
8-E-24-IH
Approved With Conditions
Recommendation
The Board should discuss the door placement on the Bragg Street elevation, and any necessary changes in siding pattern to break up the large massing; pending additional conditions identified by the Board, staff recommends approval of Certificate 8-E-24-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) final site plan and elevation drawings to meet Middle Housing standards (Article 4.6) and City Engineering standards, with minor revisions to be approved by staff; 2) revisions to the Delaware Street elevation to locate the secondary door in the location of the adjacent window; 3) revised door specifications to be submitted to staff for approval.Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- 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.
Applicable Guidelines
Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines
See Guidelines- 10. Multi-Unit Housing
- Multi-unit housing (where permitted by zoning) should have similar front yard space to that of the traditional single-family houses along the street.
- In zoning districts where multi-unit housing is permitted, the height of the new housing should be similar to the original houses along the street.
- Multi-unit housing should be designed to continue the architectural rhythm of the block. In addition to the same build-to line, porches, bays and breaks in the front façade should be created to mimic the look of older homes when looking down the block. This should be done by dividing the building into separate sections that are proportionally similar to original houses on the block.
- Parking should be provided behind apartments with access from the alley.
- Landscaping, including shade trees, should be planted in both front and back yards.
- Multi-unit housing (where permitted by zoning) should have similar front yard space to that of the traditional single-family houses along the street.
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.
- Consistent front yard space should be created along the street with the setback of a new house matching the older houses on the block.
- 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.
- New housing should be proportional to the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
- 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.
- 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.
- Parking should not be in front yards.
- 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.
- The front elevation should be designed to be similar in scale to other houses along the street.
- 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.
- Porches should be part of the housing design in those neighborhoods where porches were commonplace.
- 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.
- When constructing new houses, the window and door styles should be similar to the original or historic houses on the block.
- 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.
- New roofs should be designed to have a similar pitch to original housing on the block
- 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).
- Clapboard-like materials (such as cement fiberboard) should be used in constructing new housing where painted wood siding was traditionally used.
- 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.
- 10. Multi-Unit Housing
Meeting Date
December 18, 2024
Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District
1336 Delaware Ave. 37921
RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood)
Applicant / Owner
