Level III: New Primary Structure (duplex)
8-I-26-IH
Recommendations will be available 1 week prior to the meeting.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- New primary structure (duplex) fronting Warren Avenue. The two-story side-by-side duplex measures 40' wide by 37'-9" deep (excluding porches) and is proposed to be set 22' from the front lot line. It features a side-gable roof (6/12 pitch) clad in shingles with 1' eave overhangs, an exterior of vinyl lap siding with board-and-batten on the second-story of the façade and trim dividing the stories, and a concrete block foundation (6' tall at façade) clad in stucco. The site plan features an alley-accessed parking pad, two walkways to the street, and a new tree in the front and rear yards.
- The façade (northwest) has two units in a mirrored design, with the right unit projecting 3'-4" further than the left. Each unit features a 10' wide by 8' deep porch with a 4/12-pitch shed roof supported by a 6" column and two shared 8" columns, a window and a paneled door on the first story, and a similarly sized window and a smaller one on the second story. The porches and stairs include guardrails and four 15" pilasters clad in brick veneer. The right (southwest) and left (northeast) elevations each feature two windows on the first story and one on the second. The second story on both side elevations cantilevers 2' along the rear side. The rear elevation also features a mirror design, with a window on the second story and a secondary entrance on the first story for each unit. All windows feature 3.5" trim and a projecting windowsill. Except for two smaller windows on the second story of the façade, all windows are 1/1 and either single-hung or double-hung (unspecified).
Applicable Guidelines
Heart of Knoxville Infill Housing Design Guidelines
See 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.
- 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. House Orientation and Side Lots
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, antebellum columns and other materials that were not used in the early 1900's should not be used.
- 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 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.
- 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 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 materials 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.
- 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 should be planted in the front and rear yards of infill lots with 25 feet or more in depth to front of house.
- 1. Front Yards
Meeting Date
August 19, 2026
Oakwood/Lincoln Park Infill Housing Overlay District
Warren Ave. 37917
RN-4 (General Residential Neighborhood)
Applicant / Owner
