Design Review Board
Oakwood/Lincoln Park Infill Housing Overlay District
4-C-21-IH
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 4-C-21-IH, with the following conditions:
1) Include a walkway from the front door to the street;
2) Parking to meet City Engineering requirements and Infill Housing design guidelines;
3) Verify final foundation height to be consistent with historic context;
4) Incorporate an additional window on the right elevation;
5) Omit non-operable shutters, use one accent siding (vertical or shake) on façade gable fields, use brick veneer instead of stone veneer on porch elements.
Location 933 E. Churchwell Ave. 37917
OwnerJohn John Coker
Applicant Request
New Primary Structure1. The house is proposed to be located 32.13' from the front property line (24.13' from the front porch to the front property line). The average front setback of the blockface is 30'. The proposed front setback will be consistent with the block and maintain consistent front yard space. A walkway should extend from the front door to the street. All efforts should be made to protect existing trees.
2. The block is characterized by one- to 1.5-story Minimal Traditionals and Craftsman houses. The proposed one-story Craftsman-style house is proportional to the dimensions of the lot and the other houses on the block. The proposed side yard setbacks are relatively consistent with the dimensions of the lot and other houses on the block.
3. The site plan originally provided in the application does not include parking on the lot. Per City requirements, the site plan must show the driveway width, length, material, and parking for two vehicles. Parking must meet City Engineering requirements. To fulfill design guidelines, parking should be located at least 20' behind the front façade of the infill house, with access limited to one lane between the street and front façade.
4. Overall, the one-story, three-bay façade is similar in scale and width to the context. Due to the lot's topography (sloping to the rear property line), the foundation height may not be as shown on the drawings and should be verified to be consistent with the adjacent houses.
5. The design incorporates an 8' deep front porch.
6. Guidelines recommend window and door styles to be comparable to original houses on the block, and maintain a consistent ratio of solid to void. An additional window is needed on the right elevation to create additional transparency. Infill Housing review generally recommends designs omit non-operable shutters that don't appropriately fit the windows.
7. The proposed 7/12 pitch roof meets the design guidelines.
8. Overall materials are appropriate. Selecting one accent siding (whether shake or board-and-batten) on the gable fields will help the design better meet the design guidelines. Stone veneer is an atypical material in Knoxville's historic Craftsman houses; brick veneer on the porch foundation and piers is preferable.
9. If the existing trees are not maintained in construction, final work should incorporate one native or naturalized shade tree in the front and one in the rear yards.
Staff Comments
New primary residence fronting E. Churchwell Avenue. One-story, front-gable roof residence measuring 30' wide by 44' long, featuring a partial-width front-gable roof porch. The primary massing is proposed to be set 32.13' from the front property line (24.13' from the front porch to the front property line). Parking not included in initial site plan.
The house features a 7/12 front-gable roof, clad in architectural shingles, with an exterior of vinyl lap siding and a stuccoed foundation. A front-gable roof porch projects 8' from the left half of the façade, supported by tapered wood columns on stone-veneer-clad piers. The proposal includes vinyl vertical siding on the porch gable field and vinyl shake siding on the primary gable. The three-by façade features double-hung, 3/1 vinyl windows with non-operable shutters, flanking a centrally-located half-light door. Two double-hung windows are located on the right elevation, with three on the left elevation. On the rear elevation, a secondary entry door opens to a 10' deep by 12' wide wood deck.
