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Design Review Board

Level 1: Minor alteration of an existing building/structure

3-B-17-DT

Installation of a new striped canvas awning that projects a maximum of 8'-0" from the building. The awning will have a 9'-0" clearance with the sidewalk. The awning will be open ended, allowing the decorative metal structure to be visible. The awning will be attached to the vertical metal columns of the building with a 4" metal cross bar, which will be extend in front of the storefront glass. The awning will also extend back into the recessed covered entry.

The awning fabric is "Sunbrella", which is a synthetic thread to simulate a natural canvas fabric.

Signage will be added to the awning valance as depicted on the attached plans, including the text and graphics. The hanging sign was previously approved by staff (1-C-17-DT) but is shown in a new location, attached to the terrazzo façade above the main entrance.

Location
412 Clinch Ave
Applicant Request
Installation of a new striped canvas awning that projects a maximum of 8'-0" from the building. The awning will have a 9'-0" clearance with the sidewalk. The awning will be open ended, allowing the decorative metal structure to be visible. The awning will be attached to the vertical metal columns of the building with a 4" metal cross bar, which will be extend in front of the storefront glass. The awning will also extend back into the recessed covered entry.

The awning fabric is "Sunbrella", which is a synthetic thread to simulate a natural canvas fabric.

Signage will be added to the awning valance as depicted on the attached plans, including the text and graphics. The hanging sign was previously approved by staff (1-C-17-DT) but is shown in a new location, attached to the terrazzo façade above the main entrance.
Staff Comments
The awning and signage, on the valance and location of the hanging sign, are the only items to be approved as part of this application. Staff had previously approved the hanging sign because it is externally illuminated and no more than 9 square feet, however, the location of the sign has changed with the latest revisions of the plan that moved the awning up. The sign was previously approved to be attached on the metal storefront column where a sign was previously located and there were existing screw holes in the metal column. The new location is on the terrazzo facade above the storefront.

The Clinch Avenue sidewalk in front of the restaurant is approximately 15 feet wide. The proposed awning extends 8 feet from the facade because the applicant does intend to request approval of sidewalk seating. The awning will be fully supported by the building and will not have support columns that extend to the sidewalk. For reference, the awning at the nearby Kaizen restaurant was approved by the board in 2008 and extends approximately 8.5 feet from the building.

The zoning ordinance requires that awnings have a minimum clearance with the sidewalk of 9'-0", which includes all portions of the awning structural elements and valance.

Applicable guidelines:

Section 1.B.1 (BUILDING MASS, SCALE AND FORM)
Building form should be consistent with the character of downtown as an urban setting and should reinforce the pedestrian activity at the street level. Creating pedestrian-scale buildings, especially at street level, can reduce the perceived mass of buildings. Historically, building technology limited height and subsequently created pedestrian-scaled buildings typically less than 10 stories. Building technology no longer limits the height of buildings and there are no height limitations imposed by the zoning ordinance for downtown Knoxville. However, there is still a need for buildings that respond to pedestrians. The use of 'human-scale' design elements is necessary to accomplish this. Human-scale design elements are details and shapes that are sized to be proportional to the human body, such as, upper story setbacks, covered entries, and window size and placement.
GUIDELINES:
1a. Maintain a pedestrian-scaled environment from block to block.
1c. Use building materials, cornice lines, signs, and awnings of a human scale in order to reduce the mass of buildings as experienced at the street level.
1d. Divide larger buildings into 'modules' that are similar in scale to traditional downtown buildings. Buildings should be designed with a recognizable base, middle, and top on all exposed elevations.
Applicant

The French Market

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