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Design Review Board

Level 2: Addition to an existing building/structure

9-A-17-DT

This case has been appealed

Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 9-A-17-DT as submitted.Case File
Location
141 S Gay St
Applicant Request
The proposal is for a residential rooftop addition to the existing two story structure at 141 S. Gay Street. The addition will be one story, with half being additional living space and the other half being a screened-in roof deck. An uncovered rooftop deck is also proposed on the Gay Street side of the addition. From the opposite side of Gay Street and when looking straight at the building, only a small portion of the addition will be visible (see sheet 04). There are not proposed changes to the front elevation of the building. The board had previously reviewed and approved a Certificate of Appropriateness (6-B-17-DT) for an addition over the one story portion of the building to the rear, which will not be constructed if this proposal is approved and feasible to construct.

Location: The subject site is on the west side of S. Gay Street, one lot north of the Gay Street and Vine Avenue intersection. The building is made up of two adjacent buildings under one ownership and is entirely on one lot. The adjacent building to the south (at the intersection) is one story along the Gay Street frontage and for approximately 25 feet of depth, then the building is two stories similar to the subject building (see attached aerial image). The building to the north is two stories, though approximately 3.5 feet shorter than the subject building.

Site Plan (sheet 03): The one story addition will be flush with the rear façade of the building and will extend toward the front of the building approximately 37 feet on the north side (20'-8" from the front façade) and approximately 31 feet on south side (29'-7" from the front façade). A rooftop deck is proposed between the addition and the front façade, and will be 8'-11" from the front parapet on the north side and 12'-7" from the parapet on the south side.

Elevations (sheet 04): The addition will have a maximum height of 12'-0" above the lowest parapet wall along the Gay Street facade, and the rooftop deck will be 1'-3" above the same parapet wall. The roof has a low slope from front to back, and will be as shallow as possible to accommodate insulation, substrate and roofing. The north elevation will not have any window openings. The south elevation will have screen openings.

Materials (sheet 03):
1) Siding -- fibercement board used as a rain screen system and lap siding
2) Windows -- aluminum clad wood
3) Deck railing -- 42" metal cable railing
4) Decking -- modular wood decking on pedestal system

Lighting: The addition will have recessed can lights in the new ceilings.
Staff Comments
This site is within the Southern Terminal & Warehouse (National Register) Historic District, so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines do apply (Section 1.C). The guidelines recommend that additions be designed so that they are not seen from adjoining streets and sidewalks. The applicant documents that only a portion of the roof will visible from the Gay Street sidewalk when looking straight on (see sheet 04). The addition will be more visible from the southeast along the Gay Street sidewalk (toward the Gay Street and Vine Avenue intersection) because the adjacent building to the south is partially one story. The applicant has attempted to meet the guideline recommendation of designing so as to not be visible from adjoining streets and sidewalks by using a low profile roof and having a setback of over 20 feet from the front elevation. Staff does not have any concerns with the proposed materials, design, location or height of structure.

Applicable guidelines:

C. HISTORIC RESOURCES
Section 1.C.1. (ROOFLINES AND ADDITIONS)
Alterations of the rooflines of historic buildings are not appropriate. A one-story rooftop addition, including railings, may be possible on taller buildings if it is inconspicuous from the public right-of-way. Additions should be set back from the primary elevation of the building, and should not damage character-defining features, including parapets and side walls. These walls are often topped by coping stones offering contrasting color or texture, or contain cornices, decorative grills, chimneys, corbelled brickwork and other architectural elements. Rooftop additions are almost never appropriate on buildings less than four stories in height.
GUIDELINES:
1a. Preserve or restore historic roofline features, including parapet walls and cornices.
1b. Design rooftop additions to be complementary to the historic building in terms of materials and color.
1c. Avoid construction that maintains only the historic facade.
1d. Do not alter, obscure or destroy significant features of historic resources when constructing additions.
1e. Design rooftop additions so that they are not seen from adjoining streets and sidewalks.
Applicant

Design Innovation Architects

Planning Staff
Mike Reynolds
Phone: 865-215-3827
Email: mike.reynolds@knoxplanning.org
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