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Design Review Board

Level 3: Construction of new building/structure

7-C-17-DT

This case has been appealed

Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 7-C-17-DT subject to the following condition:
1) Providing additional site improvement information for review and approval by the Downtown Design Review Board to address the guidelines for parking facilities (Section 1.A.3.), including but not limited to screening the surface lots, shade trees requirements, and parking lot lighting; and landscaping between the building and sidewalk (Section 1.B.2b).Case File
Location
215 Willow Ave
Applicant Request
SUMMARY: A new mixed-use residential/commercial development at 215 Willow Avenue in the Old City. The proposed development will be located where there are two existing surface parking lots and will require the demolition of a performance stage. The new structure will be 6-stories tall and will include approximately 5,054 square foot commercial space on the ground floor along Willow Avenue, 152 residential units on upper 5-stories, and a 2-story parking structure below the residential portion of the building (1-story of parking will be below grade). The development will have 185 parking spaces total; 50 surface spaces and 137 structured spaces.

SITE LAYOUT: The development has access to two streets, Willow Avenue and E. Jackson Avenue; however, the building fronts only on Willow Avenue. The building also fronts along the James White Parkway off-ramp which is elevated above the site approximately 30 feet. There is also a powerline easement along James White Parkway so the building will be setback approximately 40 feet from the off-ramp. Within the powerline easement is a service driveway which will provide access for garbage trucks and other service vehicles to the northeast corner of the building where the residential trash collection will be. There is also a dumpster located in the western portion of the parking lot which is intended to be made available to the businesses that front along Central Street.

All three street frontages are considered "front yards" which require a 5' setback for the first floor of the building. The building will not encroach upon the 5' setback.

On the ground floor of the Willow Ave. elevation, the commercial space is located on the western (left) side of the building and will extend approximately 70 feet along this elevation (approximately 40% of the frontage). The commercial spaces will be at grade with the adjacent sidewalk. The rest of the ground floor elevation will be faced with cast stone and metal screening for the garage openings.

ACCESS: There are two driveway curb cuts, one along Willow Avenue and one along Jackson Avenue. These driveways will provide access to the surface parking lot and the two entrances to the parking structure. Each level of the parking garage has its own access, with no internal circulation between the floors. The lower level of the garage is accessed through northwest corner of the building, on the "unnamed private alley elevation". The upper level of the garage is located on the north elevation (rear), on the "E Jackson Ave elevation".

The pedestrian entrance for the residential units is behind the commercial space, on the "unnamed private alley elevation". This is also where the 2-story leasing office and clubhouse is located. The other pedestrian entrance is for the commercial space which is at the southwest corner of the building along Willow Avenue.

EXTERIOR MATERIALS: On the ground level, the primary material is cast stone, with some aluminum panels near the commercial corner entrance. The ground floor will also have aluminum storefront systems and metal awnings. On floors 2-4 the primary material brick, with some metal siding and wood siding. On floors 5-6 the primary material is wood siding, with some metal panels. The balconies will have metal railings and the parking garage openings that face Willow Ave. will have metal mesh screen. The garage openings on other elevations will have no screening.

AMENITIES: A clubhouse and swimming pool will be provided. The clubhouse as located on the 1st floor, above the ground floor leasing office. The swimming pool is in the central courtyard of the building, above the parking garage, and is at the same floor level as the clubhouse.

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT: Mechanical equipment will be installed on the roof but it is not anticipated that screening will be required.

LANDSCAPING: The "Ground Floor Plan" on sheet A201 shows where trees are proposed.
Staff Comments
The project is not located within a national register historic district, however, it is surrounded by buildings within the Southern Terminal and Warehouse (National Register) Historic District to the west and north. When adjacent to a historic structure, the guidelines recommend using complimentary materials and elements (Section 1.B.3a). In staff's opinion, the proposed exterior materials are compatible with the nearby historic structures. In addition staff supports the use of the cast stone material at the base of the building, being the most substantial in appearance, and then transitioning to lighter materials, brick and then wood siding, higher on the building.

The six-story building is taller than the nearby historic structures which range from 1-4 stories tall, with the majority of them being 2-stories. The new building under construction at the corner of Willow Ave. and Central St. is 5-stories tall. Because the building is setback from adjacent historic buildings and is also adjacent to the elevated James White Parkway, staff's opinion is the height and scale of the building is appropriate for this location.

Staff is not comfortable with the amount of detail provided for the site improvements outside of the building footprint and is recommending that the building be approved while requiring the site improvements to be further refined and brought back to the board for approval at a later date.

Applicable guidelines:

Section 1.A.3. (PARKING FACILITIES)
It is important to ensure that parking facilities (both public and private) are safe, accessible, and clearly marked. New parking facilities should be designed to be attractive, compatible additions to downtown. In general, new parking facilities should remain subordinate to the street scene.
GUIDELINES:
3a. Create parking garages that do not contain blank walls. Allow for future commercial uses that may not be feasible at the time of construction.
3b. Locate parking garages under structures, or provide for retail, residential or office uses that line the garage. Corner locations are preferable for commercial uses.
3c. Locate surface parking lots to the side or rear of buildings. No surface parking lots should be created in front of buildings.
3d. Screen surface lots, where they abut a public sidewalk, with decorative walls, fencing and landscaping.
3e. Distribute shade trees within surface lots at a ratio of 1 tree per 8 parking spaces. Trees may be planted in wells between spaces.
3f. Provide pedestrian-scale lighting (10-15 feet in height) that uniformly illuminates the lot.
3g. Access to parking garages should not limit options for future development of contiguous or adjoining space, especially on corners.

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 C-2 zoning; or buildings may be 'stepped back' on upper floors with lower floors meeting the sidewalk edge (see Area Regulations of the C-2 Zoning District).
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.

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.6. (RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS)
Solely residential buildings, such as townhouses and apartment buildings, are rare in downtown Knoxville. Privacy and safety are concerns with residential units that meet the sidewalk. Mixed use buildings, with apartments above shops or offices, can avoid these challenges and add to downtown vitality.
GUIDELINES:
6c. Encourage the development of mixed-use buildings with apartments over lower story commercial uses.

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.
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.
7f. Screen dumpsters from view.

Section 1.C.10. (NEW CONSTRUCTION WITHIN OR ADJACENT TO AN HISTORIC DISTRICT OR
BUILDING)
Infill construction should be designed to reflect architectural and historic qualities. Designs should not duplicate current buildings. Issues of concern will be the siting, size, shape, proportion, materials, and the relationship of all of those to the prevalent character of the historic district.
GUIDELINES:
10a. Maintain the setback of adjacent historic buildings. The height of the lower stories should be similar to adjacent historic buildings. Upper floors may be 'stepped back' behind the front facade.
10b. Duplicate the horizontal floor divisions of existing buildings.
10c. Design windows to be of similar proportions to the adjacent historic building windows.
10d. Use ornamental stone, brick work, and trim appropriate to the style of the infill building.
10e. Recognize the belt courses, strong courses, cornices, and other elements of adjacent buildings.
10f. Incorporate storefronts that complement the openness, bulkheads, and transoms of historic buildings.
Applicant

Smith

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