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Design Review Board

Level 2: Major alteration of an existing building/structure
Level 2: Addition to an existing building/structure

3-A-18-DT

This case has been appealed

Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 3-A-18-DT subject to the following conditions:
1) Obtaining all necessary permissive use agreements from the City of Knoxville to allow door swings and other improvements within or over the public right-of-way.
2) Obtaining approval from the National Park Service for Part 2 (Description of Rehabilitation) of Historic Preservation Certification (Tax Credit) Application. Revisions to the plans as approved by the board, based on requirements of the Park Service for Tax Credit approval, shall be reviewed and approved by Staff.Case File
Location
301 State St
Applicant Request
This proposal is a renovation of the Cal Johnson Building and is a revision to the previously approved COA 7-C-16-DT. Revisions include a new storefront design, new window openings on side elevations, infilling existing window openings on side elevations, and constructing a new rooftop deck and staircase.

Site Plan (Sheet C3.0):
1) On the front (east) elevation, there will be a new metal awning that will extend a maximum of 4' over the sidewalk.
2) On the north elevation, two new egress doorways will be installed with doors that swing out. This alley was closed in 1977 and is owned by the property owner.
3) On the rear (west) elevation, one new door will be installed within an existing opening, and new prefinished metal gutters and downspouts. The door will be recessed so it does not swing over the property line.
4) New corner guards will be installed on all corners of the building.

General Items (all elevations):
1) All new and replacement windows are aluminum clad wood double hung windows with exterior profile to match existing. Color will be black.
2) New window openings will have a brick arch to match the existing.
3) Infill of existing windows will be with brick to match existing.
4) Existing masonry to be cleaned and tuck-pointed.

Storefront (Sheet A1.1, A4.1, rendering & inspirational image sheet):
1) Remove the two existing garage doors and replace with new aluminum and clear glass storefront system.
2) New doors are aluminum clad wood with profile to match windows. Color will be black.
3) Storefront will be recessed approximately 3'-6" with the exception of the left door within the right (east) storefront bay which will not be recessed.
4) The sides and ceiling of the recessed storefront will be finished with 'Nichiha' fiber cement cladding with a rough sawn finish. NOTE: This will be in place of the "reclaimed barnwood siding" labeled on the plan sheets.
5) Install new metal awning with 4 metal tie rods. The awning will extend approximately 4' from the building and will have a sidewalk clearance of approximately 11'-1".

North Elevation (Sheet A4.1):
1) Infill 4 window openings with brick to match existing.
2) Create 2 new brick arched window openings to match existing.
3) Create 2 new door openings for egress and install new metal doors.

Rear (West) Elevation (Sheet A4.2):
1) Remove existing wood service doors and install new recessed service entry. The door will be metal and walls will be clad with 'Nichiha' fiber cement siding.

South Elevation (Sheet A4.2):
1) Infill 3 window openings with brick to match existing.
2) Create 2 new brick arched window openings to match existing, and 3 new small rectangular window openings for the mezzanine level of the third floor.

Rooftop Deck and Stair Addition (Sheet A3.1, A4.1 & A4.2):
1) Install new enclosed stair access approximately 18' from the front (east) elevation, 19' from the south elevation and 15' from the north elevation.
2) The enclosed stair will have a prefinished standing seam metal roof and 'Nichiha' fiber cement siding.
3) Install new deck that is 24' wide by 12'-10" deep. The deck will be approximately 5' from the front elevation, 8' from the south elevation and 5' from the north elevation.
4) Trex fencing will be on all sides of the deck. The north, south and east sides will be 3' tall and the west side (toward the rear of the building) will be 7' tall.
Staff Comments
The Cal Johnson Building is within the Gay Street Commercial Historic District so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines will apply. The property was rezoned to the H-1 (Historic Overlay District) zoning in July 2016 after the Downtown Design Review Board approved the original Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA). Because of this approval, the applicant has a 3 year vesting period in which to come back to have revisions brought back to the Downtown Design Review Board. The vesting period ends July 2019.

The applicant stated to staff that they are seeking Historic Tax Credits, so the proposal must be approved by the National Park Service as well. During the review by the Park Service it is common for revisions to be made to the design or materials and the past the Downtown Design Review Board has given staff the ability to review and approve such revisions if it happens after a CoA is approved.

The applicant consulted with Knox Heritage and the Park Service on the storefront design, which is how they came up with the proposal. See the attached document title "Infill Treatments for Vehicular Openings". The design guidelines recommend that new storefront in National Register districts have a solid bulkhead, storefront windows along the sidewalk and recessed doorways. Staff is unaware if this building ever had storefronts or if the openings always had garage doors. The inspirational image appears to have a storefront made of wood that closely mimics a garage door and are not recessed. This is not possible at the Cal Johnson Building because the doors must spring out toward the sidewalk and they cannot swing over the sidewalk for safety reasons. The storefront in the inspirational image also solid panels on the bottom where a bulkhead would be located. This is something to consider on the proposed storefront if the board determines a bulkhead should be incorporated.

Two renderings color renderings were provided with viewing angles from State Street; one that is close up to the building and one that is further away. The close up rendering shows a modification to the landscape island in road but that is not part of this application. The rendering with a viewing location further away is to show that the rooftop addition is not visible from a distance. The guidelines recommend that rooftop additions not be visible from adjacent streets and sidewalks. Being that there are no adjacent buildings to the south, the stair and rooftop deck fencing will be visible from a distance but is not visible for a nearby location along State Street. Staff believes this meets the intent of the guidelines.

Applicable Guidelines:

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.

Section 1.C.2. (STOREFRONTS)
Throughout downtown, historic buildings present a front elevation with an individual facade that is usually 25-35 feet wide. The storefronts are divided horizontally into three sections: bulkheads, solid or opaque, usually 18-24 inches tall; a plate glass storefront window 6-8 feet tall; and above it, a clear or patterned glass transom.
GUIDELINES:
2a. Restore and maintain storefronts as they were originally.
2a. Along Jackson Avenue, retain industrial loading dock or garage doors (usually 10-12 feet wide and constructed of metal); these features may be incorporated in new construction (for example, where a loading dock or parking entrance is needed).

Section 1.C.3. (ENTRANCES)
Formal entrances to front facades should be retained. This includes entrances that are located above street level and accessed by exterior stairs. Altering or removing the main entrance to grant street-level access is not appropriate.
GUIDELINES:
3a. Establish recessed entries, either rectangular or with slightly canted sides, which are appropriate in storefronts.
3b. Allow for multiple entries on the first floor of the building, giving access to commercial space that may be divided into bays.
3c. Provide access to upper stories through additional entries.
3d. Maintain original height and materials for doors that are consistent with the use of the building, such as residential, commercial, or banking purposes.

Section 1.C.4. (WINDOWS)
Appropriate window appearance is significant in finishing a rehabilitation project. From a preservation standpoint, the first and best answer when determining a treatment for windows is to repair rather than replace them. If that is not possible, replacing only deteriorated portions is the next best alternative to total replacement. It is possible to replace window sills, rebuild all or parts of window sashes, and replace window glass, making original windows energy efficient and functional.
GUIDELINES:
4a. Repair rather than replace historic windows.
4b. Replace windows if repairs are not possible with matching windows, including duplicating design, operation, material, glass size, muntin arrangements, profiles, and trim.
4c. Insert windows with the same pane configuration, materials and size as other buildings of the same general construction date, if no original windows are present.
4d. Maintain the relationship of solids to voids with new construction that is similar to other buildings in the district, including the typical width, height, spacing, and horizontal alignment of windows.

Section 1.C.5. (MASONRY)
Masonry features should be retained and repaired; materials, including mortar, should match the original mortar in color and composition. Mortar joints should be sized and struck to match the original. Belt courses, string courses, dripstones, quoins and contrasting brick and stone are common. These features should be preserved and repaired if necessary, and should be introduced on infill buildings.
GUIDELINES:
5a. Repair masonry with stone or brick and mortar that match the original.
5b. Do not paint masonry that has never been painted.
Applicant

Michael Brady, Inc.

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