Design Review Board

Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District

12-G-23-IH

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 12-G-23-IH, subject to the following conditions: 1) front setback to be revised, moving house closer to the front property line; 2) final site plan to meet City Engineering standards; 3) parking to be revised to meet Infill Housing guidelines; 4) revisions to side elevation window placement and proportion; and 5) revisions to differentiate from adjacent new houses proposed on Dakota Avenue, with approval by staff.


Location
1219 Dakota Ave. 37921

Owner
Mike Mike Ballinger Rock Creek Construction, Inc. Rock Cree

Applicant Request
New Primary Structure
1. The house is proposed to be set 37.4' from the front property line. The proposed house will be accompanied by three additional new construction houses on the block, creating a new streetscape pattern on a block with no additional houses. The houses should be moved closer to the front property line to meet the base zoning's 20' front setback requirement.

2. The block to receive new construction is relatively vacant and lacks context. The proposed one-story, three-bay house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot and the context of the block. The side yard setbacks are consistent with the broader neighborhood.

3. The design guidelines and Infill Housing code discourage front yard parking. The parking should be revised to place cars "at least 20 feet behind the front façade of the infill house, with access limited to one lane between the street and the front façade" to meet the guidelines. Final revisions may be necessary to meet City Engineering standards.

4. The one-story, three-bay façade is similar to the broader neighborhood context. The house is proposed for a concrete slab foundation; guidelines recommend that "new houses be about the same height as the original houses in the neighborhood." The foundation height should be elevated to at least 12" to meet guidelines.

5. The house features a partial-width front porch (depth not provided). The overall porch design meets the Infill Housing guidelines, though the applicant should provide measurements on porch supports and porch depth. The porch should be supported by posts that are at least 6 by 6 and measure at least 8' in depth.

6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles be similar, with similar proportions and ratio of solid to void to, to historic houses on the block. Revisions should be made to the side elevations to incorporate additional transparency.

7. The proposed roof pitch, 6/12, is the minimum typically approved in the Infill Housing overlay and meets the design guidelines.

8. While vinyl siding meets the Infill Housing guidelines, the final siding material should feature an overlap instead of flush panel or Dutch lap vinyl siding.

9. The site plan includes the planting of one new tree in the rear yard and the retention of an existing tree in the front.

10. 1219 Dakota Avenue is proposed to be identical to the new houses at 1205, 1209, and 1215 Dakota Avenue. Revisions should be made to the houses to differentiate the four; options could include revised rooflines, porch design and placement, or overall massing and design of the houses.

Staff Comments
New primary residence fronting Dakota Avenue. One-story residence features a front-gable roof (6/12 pitch), an exterior of vinyl siding, and concrete slab. The house will be set 37.4' from the front property line. The parking is proposed for the front yard, featuring an 11' wide concrete driveway with a 10' by 18' turnaround extending to the right.

The façade (east elevation) features a partial-width, front-gable roof porch supported by square wood posts. The three-bay façade features a centrally-located front door flanked by paired one-over-one windows. The left elevation features one one-over-one window, and the right elevation features two smaller fixed windows. A secondary access is located on the rear elevation.
Applicant

Mike Mike Ballinger Rock Creek Construction, Inc. Rock Creek C


Planning Staff
Lindsay Lanois
Phone: 865-215-3795
Email: lindsay.lanois@knoxplanning.org

Case History