Design Review Board

Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District

3-J-22-IH

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 3-J-22-IH, subject to the following conditions:
1) Front setback should be confirmed to create consistent front yard space along the block, with approval of final site plans by staff;
2) Left side setback to be a minimum of 5', so the left side elevations can retain windows;
3) Final site plan to meet City Engineering standards and Infill Housing design guidelines;
4) Add one bay of windows on the left side elevation, with approval by staff;
5) Final site plan to show one tree in front and one tree in rear yard.


Location
3419 Gap Rd. 37921

Owner
Amber Amber Culpepper Lafayette Investments LLC Lafayette I

Applicant Request
New Primary Structure
1. The proposed front setback is 28' from the front property line, with the front porch at 20' from the front property line. There are only three other houses on the block. 3401 Gap Road is located 42' from the front property line, and the new construction houses at 3405 and 3409 Gap Road are also set 42' from the front property line. The subject property is one of seven new houses to be constructed on the block, so the front setbacks will effectively create a new street pattern. The submitted site plans do not specifically call out the front setback measurement. Overall, the proposed front setbacks should be confirmed to create consistent front yard spaces along the block.

The seven adjacent new houses will demonstrate consistent side yard setbacks while accommodating the necessary side driveways. The applicant should confirm the left side exterior walls of all 7 houses will stay within the 5' side setback required allow windows on side elevation walls.

2. The subject block lacks historic context, which is reflected in recent Infill Housing reviews for 3405 and 3409 Gap Road (3-B-19-IH and 8-B-19-IH). Older houses nearby are transitional Ranch houses and modified Craftsmans. Existing side setbacks and lot sizes are relatively inconsistent. While two-story houses would often be disproportionately tall and large in massing on an established block in Lonsdale, the existing block is primarily vacant and two new two-story houses are located at 3405 and 3409 Gap Road.

3. There is no operable alley on the block. The proposed parking meets Infill Housing design guidelines by limiting access to one lane between the street and the façade, and the design benefits from the parking pads being placed behind the house. As proposed, the site plans meet City Engineering standards, but any modifications in permitting should meet Engineering standards and Infill Housing design guidelines.

4. The proposed front elevation is similar in scale to other houses along the street, especially the adjacent infill construction. The 22' wide, three-bay façade is comparable to historic houses' façade widths. The porch roof contributes additional roofline complexity. The applicant should provide foundation heights for the proposed houses.

5. Design A includes a full-length, shed-roof porch supported by Craftsman-style tapered posts on piers. The 8' deep porch meets the design guidelines and uses "posts and railings like those used in the historic era of the neighborhood's development."

6. Guidelines note that "window and door styles should be similar to original or historic houses" in the surrounding context. 1/1 windows instead of the proposed 4/1 would be more appropriate for the surrounding context. While the façade shows "similar proportion and position as original houses on the block," the side elevations show multiple sizes of windows with somewhat irregular placement. The left side elevation would benefit from an additional bay of windows closer to the façade, as the large swath of wall with no transparency will be significantly visible from the street.

7. At 8/12, the roof has a similar pitch to original houses in the neighborhood. The 4/12 pitch, shed roof will be somewhat shallow in proportion to the rest of the house.

8. The proposed materials meet the design guidelines.

9. Final site plans should incorporate one native or naturalized shade tree in the front and rear yards.

10. Three design variations are proposed for seven vacant lots. The proposed designs are sufficiently differentiated from each other via porch design, façade window placement, projecting front-gable roof massings, and some siding details.

Staff Comments
New primary residence fronting Gap Road. Two-story, front-gable roof residence measures 22' wide by 32' long, with an 8' deep front porch extending the full length of the façade. The house is proposed to be set 28' from the front property line. The parking extends off Gap Road on the right side of the house, via a 10' wide driveway which leads to a parking pad at the rear of the house.

The two-story house features an 8/12 pitch, front-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of fiber cement lap siding, and a CMU foundation. The full-length porch has a 4/12 pitch shed roof supported by tapered wood posts on square piers. The façade roof features full cornice returns, three fixed windows, and fiber cement or vinyl shake siding on the gable field. The façade (northeast) is three bays wide, with four-over-one, single-hung windows on both stories. On the rear elevation, a secondary entry accesses a rear deck
Applicant

Amber Amber Culpepper Lafayette Investments LLC Lafayette Inve


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

Case History