Design Review Board
Oakwood/Lincoln Park Infill Housing Overlay District
11-A-24-IH
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 11-A-24-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) the final site plan to include a walkway from the front door to the sidewalk; 2) parking to be revised to be accessed from the alley; 3) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 4) final site plan to include a tree in the front and rear yards; and allowing for Board discussion of the height of the house.
OwnerGreg Smith MES Development
Applicant Request
New Primary Structure1. The house is proposed to be set 25' from the front property line. The average front setback of the block is 26.8', with the adjacent house set 23' from the front property line. The proposed front setback will be consistent with the blockface. The final site plan should include a walkway to the sidewalk.
2. The block to receive new construction is characterized by Craftsman houses and Queen Anne cottages. The application was postponed in November to allow the applicant the opportunity to submit a plan that was more compatible with the building width and depth of houses on the block. The 27' wide by 60' deep house is more proportionate to other houses on the block and the dimensions of the lot.
3. Guidelines state that parking should not be in front yards and should be accessed from the alley. The zoning code requires new houses in the Infill Housing overlay to use the alley for access and egress, if one exists. The proposed parking is a concrete pad in the front yard and accessed from Raleigh Avenue and should be revised to meet guidelines. The final site plan should meet City Engineering standards.
4. The plans indicate an elevated foundation clad in brick veneer. Guidelines recommend a front elevation similar in scale with other houses on the street, and a façade with "about the same width as original houses on the block," along with a foundation the same height as original houses in the neighborhood. The house will be approximately 28'-8" at its peak, which is somewhat taller than the context, which primarily features 1-1.5 story houses. The Board should discuss the height of the house.
5. The design includes an 8' deep full-length front porch with a partial hipped roof, which meets the guidelines.
6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles be similar to historic houses on the block, with similar placement and ratio of solid to void. The house primarily features 1/1 double-hung windows with trim and projecting sills which are appropriate for the context, and all elevations feature sufficient transparency. The window details depicted on the elevation drawings should be included in final construction.
7. The 8/12 roof pitch meets the neighborhood context, and the eave overhangs and flashing benefit the design.
8. The proposed materials meet the guidelines. The proposed brick clad foundation, horizontal lap siding, and trim details should all be constructed as shown on the elevation drawings.
9. The final site plan should incorporate one native or naturalized shade tree in the front and rear yards.
Staff Comments
New primary structure fronting Raleigh Avenue. Two story residence features a side-gable roof (8/12 pitch) clad in asphalt shingles, with two front-gable massings projecting from the façade, an exterior of horizontal lap siding, and a foundation clad in brick veneer. The building measures 27' wide by 60' deep, including an 8' deep full-length front porch with a partial hipped roof supported by 10" square wood columns. The building is proposed to be set 25' from the front lot line, with the main massing of the house at 32' from the front lot line. Parking is via a 10' wide concrete driveway in the front yard and is accessed via Raleigh Avenue.
The façade is four bays wide, featuring a pair of double-hung windows on the left bay and a door flanked by sidelights on the right bay. The façade features two projecting front-gable massings, one with faux cedar shakes in the gable field and the other with a pair of single-hung windows. The right elevation features four double-hung windows on the first story and two on the second story. The left elevation features three double-hung windows and a trio of windows on the first story and three windows on the second story. The rear elevation features a secondary entrance with a porch and a transom window. Elevation drawings show window and door trim on all elevations