Historic Zoning Commission

Scenic Drive NC: Level II

2-B-22-HZ

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 2-B-22-HZ, subject to the garage's revised placement further towards the rear property line.


Location Knoxville
1065 Scenic Dr. 37919

Owner
Simonne Simonne Wortham

Applicant Request
Additions
Multiple additions to an existing house, including a primary bedroom addition on the rear right corner (north), a porch addition on the left side rear, a new garage addition to the front left (southwest) of the house, and a porte cochere connecting the new garage to the house.

Bedroom addition on rear: addition measures 48'-1.5" wide by 31'-4.5" long overall, connecting to an existing side wing of the house. The addition will feature a gable roof clad in slate to match the existing house, lap siding with an exposure to match the upper gable fields on the existing house, and a foundation recessed below a significant retaining wall. Windows on the rear addition will be 6/6 and 10/10, some with shutters to match the existing house.

Porch roof addition: to extend from the rear of the house, a flat roof with a Classical-influenced entablature and square columns to match existing porch, with a new brick chimney on the left (west) side.

Garage addition: measures 56'-8-1/8" long by 22'-3" wide overall. Garage addition contains one hipped roof, two-car garage massing (measuring 26'-11" long by 22'-3" wide) with a lower hipped massing (measuring 24'-9-1/8" by 12'-9"). The garage will feature a hipped slate roof, an exterior of painted brick veneer, and double-hung 6/6 and 4/4 divided light windows. A flat-roof porte cochere with a decorative entablature and square columns connects the garage to the left side of the house. The garage features hipped-roof dormers with double-hung windows and wood, arched garage doors. The front elevation of the garage features a decorative, Classical-style element with a hipped metal roof, a classical entablature and engaged pilasters, a painted "growing wall trellis over shiplap siding" and a round center window.

Staff Comments
Neoclassical, c.1931
    Two story frame with brick veneer wall covering. End gable roof with slate roof covering. Six over six double hung windows. Two story front porch with two story round columns with Doric capitals, gabled roof with full entablature, dentil molding and demi-lune window. Broken pediment above front entry, flanked with half view paneled recessed sidelights; central double hung window about front entry with sidelights. Two exterior end brick chimneys. Brick foundation. Irregular plan. Architect: Baumann and Baumann.

New Construction - Primary Buildings, Additions, and Accessory Buildings
1. A "description of properties" inventory describing existing architectural designs and their features found in the neighborhood is included in these guidelines. An eclectic mix of styles is apparent. New designs are encouraged to interpret one of the design types identified as a "contributing" structure, with size and features generally drawn from the design and appropriate to that style, although the same design cannot be repeated on another lot.
3. Materials commonly use in the existing neighborhood houses are preferred. The following modern wall cladding material should not be used on primary buildings or on permanent accessory structures: T-111 plywood or similar products; vinyl or aluminum siding; exposed concrete blocks.
4. The maximum lot coverage for the footprint of a house and accessory buildings shall not exceed 30% of the lot. Pavement in front and/or side yards visible from public streets shall be minimized, so that the landscaping and plantings convey the impression of a residential setting.
5. Side and rear setbacks of primary buildings constructed in the Scenic Drive District, or of contributing primary buildings combined with their new additions, shall respect the lot placement of existing historic buildings. In no case shall the side yards be less than 8 feet for a single story or 12 feet for a multi-story building, with a combined side yard measurement for both sides of the building of not less than twenty feet. The minimum rear yard for new primary buildings or buildings with new additions shall not be less than 25 feet.
6. New additions and constructions shall conform to the prevailing widths and heights of typical facades of adjacent houses. The footprint of new additions and constructions should be in character and proportion with contributing neighboring houses, even if originally platted lots have been combined into larger lots. Detached accessory buildings shall be proportional to the house in height and size.
7. Carports and garage doors should not face the street except in cases where there is no reasonable alternative. If they do face the street, garage entrances should be designed to be consistent with the home's architectural features.
8. The design of detached garages and carports and the materials of which they are constructed should be consistent with the character of the main structure.
9. The recommended location for additions is to the rear or side of existing buildings. Additions to the front of buildings are strongly discouraged because they obscure the original architectural designs. Front additions are not appropriate for contributing structures. If additions are to be made to the side elevations of existing buildings, they should be located at least five feet behind the front facade of the existing building.
10. Detached accessory buildings, including carports and detached garages, should be located at least fifteen feet to the rear of the front facade line and no nearer than five feet to a side or rear lot line. In size, they should not exceed the building footprint of the principal building and should be consistent in scale with the primary building on the lot.
11. The design of additions, accessory buildings, including carports, and modifications, in particular the front facade of the house, should be consistent with the character of the main structure.
12. If an addition or modification is made to an existing house, the wall cladding material should match or complement those on the existing house. Traditional combinations such as wood clapboard or wood shingle siding additions on brick or stone primary structures are acceptable if matching materials cannot be secured. The roofing material for additions and modifications should match the existing roofing material.
13. All construction plans shall assess and take into account the impact of drainage on both the subject property and neighboring properties.

Roof Form and Coverings
1. The minimum roof pitch should be appropriate for the style of house or addition that is being constructed as described in the Properties Inventory.
2. Houses should have complex roof shapes or roof shapes that are consistent with the architectural forms of the district.

Windows
1. The size of window openings on the front and any visible side facades should be consistent with the design of the new building and with other houses of similar architectural design.
2. High quality fixed grid windows should be used. Snap-in grid windows should not be used. Simulated divided light windows with fixed external muntins or mullions are encouraged.
3. Proportion and style of windows shall be appropriate to the design type. Replacement windows are encouraged to duplicate the look and quality of the original. Palladium style windows should not be used unless in keeping with the original character of the house.

Site Design
1. New buildings and additions shall be designed to set into the landscape with a minimum of reshaping to the topography and loss of mature trees.
2. Parking pads and circular driveways should not be placed in the front yard except in extraordinary cases where a driveway to the rear of the property is impractical or unsafe. In those cases, a small parking area may be constructed; pervious paving material is encouraged and landscaping should conceal the parking area from the street.
Applicant

Travis Travis Brooks - Jonathan Miller Architecture & Design Jonathan Miller Architecture & Design


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

Case History