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Design Review Board

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

6-D-20-DT

This case has been appealed

Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 6-D-20-DT subject to the following conditions.

1) Meeting the requirements of the City of Knoxville Department of Engineering.
2) Meeting the blank wall standards of the DK-G zone district.Case File
Location
808 State St.
Applicant Request
The adaptive reuse of the building consists of the renovation of the existing 1940's terracotta block 1 story structure with a basement and constructing a new 1,420 sqft addition with a basement on the north side of the existing building (along Cumberland Avenue). A landscaped courtyard will be added in front of the addition, along the State Street frontage, and there will be a patio and loading area to the rear of the addition. The upper level of the new addition will house the main entry vestibule, bathroom core and bar area.

Existing 1940's Structure
1) Remove the stone veneer and mansard roof on the front (State Street) elevation to expose the original brick facade.
2) The three other existing elevations will receive a treatment to remove the paint on the existing terracotta block to expose its natural and intended color.
3) Install new steel framed glass transoms with clear insulated glazing and aluminum storefront doors and aluminum operable garage door.
4) Install a new canopy on the front facade that resembles the original canopy.
5) Install a new steel deck on the rear of the existing building that will be accessed from the upper level.

Addition
1) The addition will be setback approximately 50' from the State Street property line, 1' from the Cumberland Avenue property line, and 47' from the rear (alley) property line.
2) The materials of the new addition include architectural metal panels with fire district approved wood accents.
3) The base of the new addition is proposed to be board-formed concrete for the new foundation and retaining walls.
4) New clear glazed insulated collapsible doors will be added to the east and west facades of the new addition to access the new entry and event court.
5) The Cumberland Avenue elevation has a rectangular recessed area with vertical architectural metal panels or varying widths and colors. The remainder of this elevation will be clad with a corrugated architectural metal panel system.

State Street Courtyard, Patio, and Landscaping
1) The courtyard and patio will be surrounded by a board-formed retaining wall of varying height. Along the State Street sidewalk, it will be a low wall that forms the edge of the planting area.
2) Board-formed walls with a height similar to a guardrail will be located on the courtyard/patio side of the planting area.
3) The courtyard and walkways will be made of concrete and the area labeled as "court" is a gravel surface. Along the north elevation of the existing building, there will be 2" or less river rock installed flush with adjacent materials.
4) The patio for the existing structure will have a concrete surface, landscape bed along the sidewalk, and a sliding metal gate with 2" or less river rock installed flush with adjacent materials.
5) There will be four trees and various other smaller plantings in the courtyard and patio area.

Rear Patio, Loading Dock, and Landscaping
1) The patios will have concrete surfaces and will have a concrete ramp from the loading area up to the basement of the addition.
2) The mechanical units will be located along the backside of the board formed retaining wall along the Cumberland Avenue sidewalk.
3) The waste bins will be located near the alley and Cumberland Avenue property line and will be surrounded by a 4'-0" tall fence.
4) There will be three trees planted adjacent to the mechanical units and various smaller planting in the planting beds shown on the plan.

Lighting
1) The roof overhangs and sidewalls of the east and west elevations of the addition will be lined with the Type 'A' recessed perimeter light fixture (3 sides).
2) The rectangular recessed area on the Cumberland Avenue elevation will be lined with the Type 'A' recessed perimeter light fixture (4 sides).
3) The rear of the existing structure will have two Type 'B' wall mounted light fixtures at the deck level and four Type 'D' under deck fixture for the patio below the deck.
4) The rear of the addition will have two Type 'B' wall mounted light fixtures at the patio (basement) level.
5) The courtyards have Type 'C' in-wall step lighting and Type 'E' in-ground well lighting.
Staff Comments
This building is not located within a National Register Historic District so the proposal does not need to meet the Historic Resources section of the design guidelines. In addition to having to meet the recommendations of the Downtown Design Guidelines, the proposal also must meet requirements of the DK-G zone district, including the dimensional standards and design standards (Art. 5, Sec. 5.5 - Table 5.3 & 5.4). There are no apparent conflicts with the zoning standards (see page A0.0 for the applicable DK-G requirements and associated measurements/calculations for this proposal).

The DK-G zone requires 80 percent of new construction be built within 0'-5' of a street lot line. The addition meets this requirement along the Cumberland Avenue frontage but it is not built up to the State Street property line. However, the zoning regulations allow plazas and other open space features to count toward meeting this requirement, so this proposal is compliant with this requirement along the State Street frontage.
The color renderings in the plan packet have a different Cumberland Avenue elevation then what is shown in the line elevations. The color rendering shows an alternative that the applicant is interested in constructing if it is permissible by the zoning ordinance, or if the Design Review Board has the authority to approve an alternative design standard from the requirements of the DK-G zone. The DK-G zone has a façade design standard that states no building wall that abuts a public right-of-way can contain a blank wall that exceeds 20 linear feet, measure parallel to the street. The wall in the color rendering does not meet that standard which is why the line drawings have an alternative design with a larger recess area.

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.
1b. Foster air circulation and sunlight penetration around new buildings. Buildings may be designed with open space, as allowed under existing DK zoning; or buildings may be 'stepped back' on upper floors with lower floors meeting the sidewalk edge.
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.
1e. Avoid blank walls along street-facing elevations.

Section 1.B.2. (BUILDING LOCATION)

It is important to establish a strong relationship among buildings, sidewalks, and streets. This is typically accomplished through consistent setbacks that locate buildings on the same line.
GUIDELINES:
2a. Set buildings back five feet in order to provide wider sidewalk space when new construction in non-historic areas is to be more than half the length of the block.
2b. Consider using landscape elements to define the sidewalk edge where a building is to be set back from the sidewalk.
2c. Maintain sight lines to historic buildings that were originally located in an open setting, providing setbacks for new buildings next to historic structures in order to preserve views.
2d. Limit grade separations above or below the sidewalk, generally no more than 3 feet. Allow for clear sightlines into and out of buildings and plazas.
2e. Design private plazas to be pedestrian-friendly. Provide human-scale amenities and include landscaping.

SECTION 1.B.3. (BUILDING MATERIALS)

New building materials should relate to the scale, durability, color, and texture of the predominate building materials in the area.
GUIDELINES:
3a. Use complimentary materials and elements, especially next to historic buildings.

SECTION 1.B.4. (ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER)

Buildings should be visually interesting to invite exploration by pedestrians. A building should express human scale through materials and forms that were seen traditionally. This is important because buildings are experienced at close proximity by the pedestrian.
GUIDELINES:
4a. Encourage first floor uses that draw walk-in traffic; businesses that do not require pedestrian traffic should be located on other floors.
4b. Enhance pedestrian interest in commercial and office buildings by creating a largely transparent and consistent rhythm of entrances and windows.
4c. Scale first floor signs to pedestrians.
4d. Differentiate the architectural features of ground floors from upper floors with traditional considerations such as show-windows, transoms, friezes, and sign boards.
4e. Design top floors to enhance the skyline of the block through cornices and details that are harmonious with adjacent architecture.
4f. Encourage the use of 'green roofs' and other sustainable practices, while minimizing the visual impact from the street.

SECTION 1.B.5. (GROUND FLOOR DOORS AND WINDOWS)

Entrances and ground floor windows should foster pedestrian comfort, safety and orientation. Not every building in downtown needs to have the same window or entry designs; however, repeating the pattern of historic openings helps to reinforce the character of downtown, differentiating it from suburban areas.
GUIDELINES:
5a. Use consistent rhythm of openings, windows, doorways, and entries.
5b. Orient primary front entrances to the main street; secondary entrances should be clearly defined and oriented to streets or alleys, as appropriate.
5c. Design entrances according to the proportions of the building's height and width.
5d. Consider corner entrances at the ends of blocks.
5e. All windows at the pedestrian level should be clear.
5f. Recess ground floor window frames and doors from the exterior building face to provide depth to the facade.

SECTION 1.B.7. (MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE UTILITIES)

Utilities can include telephone and electrical lines, ventilation systems, gas meters, air conditioners, fire protection, telecommunication and alarm systems. Adequate space for these utilities should be planned in a project from the outset and they should be designed such that their visual and noise impacts are minimized.
GUIDELINES:
7a. Minimize the visual impact of mechanical equipment through screens or recessed/low-profile equipment.
7b. Do not locate units on a primary façade.
7c. Screen rooftop vents, heating/cooling units and related utilities with parapet walls or other screens. Consider sound-buffering of the units as part of the design.
7d. Locate utility connections and service boxes on secondary walls.
7e. Reduce the visual impacts of trash storage and service areas by locating them at the rear of a building or off an alley, when possible.
Applicant

Sanders / Sanders Pace Architecture, LLC.

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