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Design Review Board

Level 2: Addition to an existing building/structure

7-C-15-DT

This case has been appealed

Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 7-C-15-DT as submitted.Case File
Location
100 N Central St
Applicant Request
This proposal is a revision to CoA 7-A-13-DT and 6-F-13-DT (revised). The work to be performed is predominantly in the courtyard, including a small addition, performance stage, two story deck and landscaping.

LANDSCAPING PLAN: Along the sidewalk edge, proposed are 4 crape myrtle trees, evergreen shrubs near the railroad tracks, river rock, and vines trained to the columns. In the courtyard, three canopy trees as shown, decking, decomposed gravel, and pavers.

BUILDING ADDITION: A small addition to the north elevation located below the mezzanine level of the new deck. This addition will only have access to the interior of the building. The addition will be clad in wood siding as shown in the attached plans. All existing cement board siding will be replaced with the proposed wood siding.

PERFORMANCE STAGE: Located at the north end of the courtyard (near the railroad tracks), the stage has a shed roof with corrugated roofing material and wood siding.

DECK: The two story deck has access from the building on the lower and upper levels. The decking material will be trex or wood decking. The deck framing will be painted steel or heavy timber framing. There will be a bar located on the east side of the courtyard below the mezzanine level of the deck. There will be a metal flue pipe that extends above the adjacent building at the location of the bar.

SIGNS: A new sign will be added to the sign board of the former Patrick Sullivan's building, including gooseneck lights as shown. The existing Coca-Cola and Lucille's painted signs will remain and will be restored.

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT & SCREENS: New mechanical equipment will be added to the roof of the two-story building adjacent to the rear courtyard. There are two screen options provided on plan sheet D-13. Option 1 includes a fence wall to be either wood siding planks or cement board planks (7 1/4" tall by 1" nominal, and with 1" air space between). The height of the wall is has not been provided as of the publication of the agenda. Option 2 includes only a 42" steel guardrail that is required by code.
Staff Comments
The Historic Resources section of the guidelines apply to these structures. The former Patrick Sullivan's building is a contributing structure in the Jackson Avenue Warehouse (National Register) Historic District and the adjacent two-story building is listed as a non-contributing structure in the Southern Terminal and Warehouse (National Register) Historic District.

The majority of the new construction is the two-story, covered deck. The second level of the deck does come close to the edge of the existing fence adjacent to the existing two-story building. The impact of this deck on the pedestrian experience on the sidewalk should be considered by the board, including the potential of requiring the second level of deck to be setback further from the sidewalk.

Applicable guidelines:

Section 1.A.4. (DOWNTOWN BEAUTIFICATION)
Beautifying downtown can occur through many different elements including architecture, landscape architecture, horticulture, art, and performing art. These elements provide expressions of local history and culture. They contribute to local identity and unique qualities of downtown. Public spaces should be designed to include art and beautification.
GUIDELINES:
4a. Foster downtown beautification with landscaping and plantings, public art, and public open space.
4b. Establish performance spaces for the arts including opportunities for artists to perform, display, or create work.
4c. Plant street trees where possible. Choose tree planting locations that will not significantly alter the setting of, or harm the materials of historic buildings.

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…
GUIDELINES:
1a. Maintain a pedestrian-scaled environment from block to block.

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:
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:
4c. Scale first floor signs to pedestrians.

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 facade.
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.

Section 1.C.7. (RECOMMENDED SIGNS)
Commercial establishments need to advertise. However, advertising signs should be effective and appropriate to historic areas without contributing to visual clutter. Primary concerns are a sign's location, size, material, and illumination.
GUIDELINES:
7a. Locate signs above storefront windows, below second-story windows on the sign board, or on the storefront windows themselves (30% is maximum coverage), or off the front of the building as a projecting sign (maximum size: 9 square feet).
7b. Create signs that are proportional to the building where they are located.
7c. Do not light signs internally.
7d. Allow painted signs on building walls in the warehouse area along Jackson Avenue, and in some other locations along Gay Street.
7e. Preserve signs that are historic elements of buildings.

Section 2.C. THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
Central Street, from Depot Avenue south to Summit Hill Drive: The Central Street section is composed of one- to two-story buildings that are unremarkable as individual buildings, but draw significance as a collection of commercial buildings that supported warehouse employees and visitors that arrived on the railroad. In the rehabilitation that occurred in the 1980s, details were added that are inappropriate (for instance, wrought iron balconies). Re-creation of the authentic architecture of such buildings is preferred and additional inappropriate details should be avoided. New construction in this area should focus on the storefront designs, masonry, window sizes, setbacks and massing that complement the historic buildings.

Section 2.C.1. (RECOMMENDED SIGNS)
The entire Warehouse district is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places and these buildings are also eligible for local overlays. Signs should therefore be governed by historic standards. These recommendations recognize that certain types of signs are dominant in the Warehouse District and should be encouraged in the future.
GUIDELINES:
1b. Wall signs on sign boards mounted flush to the building facade
1c. Painted wall sign
Applicant

Design Innovation Architects

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