Historic Zoning Commission

Old North Knoxville H: Level II

3-J-21-HZ

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 3-J-21-HZ, with the following conditions:

1) Revise site plan to show 12' minimum rear setback from the alley;
2) Retain previously-approved first-story window sizes;
3) Align west elevation door header with windows;
4) Install shingles cut specifically to match the main house or use a painted lap siding with a horizontal trim piece separating the first story from upper gable fields.


Location Knoxville
401 E. Oklahoma Ave. 37917

Owner
David David Holmes

Applicant Request
Accessory structure
Proposed new accessory structure (accessory dwelling unit) to be located behind the primary residence. Overall form and design was reviewed and approved with conditions by the HZC in November 2020. Due to the completion of a survey and site plan constraints; applicant is proposing the rotation of the previously reviewed structure by ninety degrees, with the garage door now facing the alley. Previously approved structure measured 30' wide by 21' deep; new structure to measure 28' wide by 22.5' deep. Structure to be placed to the rear of the primary residence, set 10' from the rear lot line and 5' from the interior side lot line.

Accessory dwelling unit to feature a 9/12 gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, with the front gable fields aligned with the alley (garage elevation) and the primary residence. 3/12 shed-roof dormers are centered on each roof slope, featuring 1/1 double hung wood windows (32" wide over 48" tall, centered over lower windows).

Revisions also include smaller windows on the first story; all windows on the first floor are proposed to be 36" by 36". New design also includes a door on the leftmost bay of the west elevation.

As previously reviewed and approved, the shed will rest on a concrete slab foundation and be clad in fiber cement (Hardie Plank) lap siding.

Applicant is also requesting a modification to the previously issued COA, which included the condition that the gable fields be clad in shingle siding, to connect the structure with the primary residence. The applicant is proposing painted lap siding instead of previously requested shingles.

Staff Comments
Queen Anne cottage, c.1910
    One-story frame with hipped roof with cross gables. Wood weatherboard wallcovering. Asphalt shingle roof covering and wood shingles in gable ends. Double-hung one-over-one windows with cottage window on front façade. One-story one-half front porch with turned wood posts. Two interior offset brick chimneys. Brick foundation. Irregular plan. Projecting bay on north elevation.

M. Auxiliary or Outbuildings
1. The design of outbuildings such as garages shall acknowledge and suggest the function of original outbuildings that would have been located in the neighborhood.
2. The design of features like garage doors that face the street shall mimic carriage house doors from an era consistent with the primary building on the lot.
3. Garages shall be located to the rear of the primary building on the lot.
4. Materials used in constructing outbuildings or accessory buildings may only use materials and design characteristics selected from the following list: wood lap siding with a four-inch lap or board-and-batten; a 12/12 roof pitch; overhanging eaves; exposed rafter tails; wood windows; masonry but not exposed concrete block or split-face block; garage doors appearing to be carriage doors or plank doors with x-bracing or perimeter reinforcing timbers.

New Building Construction
H. Scale and Massing
1. Relate the size and proportions of new structures to the scale of adjacent buildings.
4. New buildings must reinforce the scale of the neighborhood by their height, width, and massing.
6. Roof shapes must relate to the existing buildings, as must roof coverage.

SOI Standards:
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or telated new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

Case History