Historic Zoning Commission

Fourth and Gill H: Level II

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of Certificate 9-F-24-HZ, subject to the following conditions:
1) for any windows which cannot be repaired, specifications should be submitted to Commission for review and approval in a new application;
2) exterior window trim to be repaired and/or replaced in-kind;
3) new fiber cement shingles to match existing asbestos shingles in size, thickness, and detail, with measurements provided to staff;
4) new porch flooring to use tongue-and-groove wood instead of decking;
5) front porch railing detail to be submitted to staff for review.


Location Knoxville
1028 Luttrell St. 37917

Central City


Owner
Sarah Morrow, Uplifted Properties LLC

Applicant Request
Additions; Deck; Porch; Roofing; Siding; Windows
Exterior rehabilitation and rear addition.

Rear addition:
- Removal of existing (non-contributing) rear addition (appx. 7'x 17.5').
- Construction of new 12' by 18' rear addition, with rear corner setback of 5'. Addition will feature a gable roof clad in asphalt shingles, an exterior of fiber cement shingle siding, and a parge-coated CMU foundation. The addition will feature two double-hung windows flanking a secondary access door. The application will be inset from the primary structure by 6 inches [revised since October 2024 application].
- Construction of new 12'x8' wooden deck with aluminum balusters at rear of new addition.

Exterior rehabilitation scopes:
- Repair to existing wood windows [revised since October 2024 application].
- Proposed removal of two windows on the rear elevation: leftmost window on first-story, rear elevation and center window on second-story to be enclosed with siding.
- Repair of the existing wood window trim on the diamond window on the right elevation. Installation of new glass into existing frame.
- Existing asbestos shingle siding to remain. In sections requiring patching, applicant proposes to patch with fiber cement shingle siding. Repair of existing siding with in-kind fiber cement shingle siding.
- Removal of existing wood soffit and fascia and replacement in-kind with new wood soffit and fascia.
- Removal of existing wooden front porch balusters and replacement in-kind with new wooden balusters.
- Removal of existing wooden front porch ceiling and installation of new tongue and grove wood ceiling.
- Removal of existing wooden deck boards on front porch, repair of floor system, and installation of new wood deck boards.
- Routine repair of foundation, including new parge coating on deteriorated sections

Conditions of approval per 11/21/2024 HZC:
1) for any windows which cannot be repaired, specifications should be submitted to Commission for review and approval in a new application;
2) exterior window trim to be repaired and/or replaced in-kind;
3) new fiber cement shingles to match existing asbestos shingles in size, thickness, and detail, with measurements provided to staff;
4) new porch flooring to use tongue-and-groove wood instead of decking;
5) front porch railing detail to be submitted to staff for review.

Staff Comments
Craftsman, c.1930
    1.5-story frame residence with a side-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles and an exterior of asbestos siding. Full-length, hipped roof porch.

Roofing
2. The eaves on additions or new buildings should have an overhang that mimics the original eave, or where this is not feasible, mimics the existing buildings near the property. A minimum eave overhang of at least eight inches should be used on new construction. Fascia boards should be included on the gables.
4. Materials used in roofing existing buildings or new construction should duplicate the original roofing materials if possible. Asphalt or fiberglass shingles can be appropriate, as are slate, standing seam metal or metal shingle roof coverings. The color of roofing materials should be a dark green, charcoal gray, black or dark reddish brown to simulate the original roof colors.

Windows
1. Vinyl and aluminum replacement windows should not be used.
2. Original windows should be reused. It will be much less expensive and much better historically to retain the original windows.
4. If replacement windows are necessary, they should be the same overall size as the originals, with the same pane division, and the same muntin style and exterior depth, width and profile. False muntins or grids should not be used. 5. Windows should not be replaced with fixed thermal glazing or permitted to be inoperable. In many cases fixed or inoperable glazing violates code requirements for egress.
6. Tinted or reflective glass should not be used on primary or other important elevations. LO-E glass, which selectively removes ultraviolet light, is allowed.
7. It can be appropriate to design and install additional windows on the rear or another secondary elevation. The designs should be compatible with the overall design of the building
9. Reuse existing, serviceable window hardware.

Porches
1. Repair porches on historic houses using wood floors, balustrades, posts and columns, or replace duplicating the original size and design. Reconstruction of the documented original porch is also appropriate.
5. Do not replace a wooden porch floor with a poured concrete or masonry floor. The concrete floor will change the historic appearance of the building, and can retain moisture that eventually damages the building
4. Secondary entrances should be compatible with the originals in size, scale or materials but should not give the appearance of a primary entrance.
7. Missing doors should be replaced with new doors appropriate for the style and period of the building. In replacing missing original doors, replacement doors should mimic doors typical for that architectural style, including materials, glazing, and pane configuration. Solid six panel or flush wood or steel design doors should only be used for entrances not visible from the public street. "Decorator" designed doors available from wholesale hardware stores are usually not appropriate for the architectural styles of the Fourth & Gill Historic District.

Siding
2. Replacement siding should duplicate the original. Trim and patterned shingles should also duplicate the original.
3. New construction should use wood materials rather that aluminum or vinyl siding. New buildings should also use corner and trim boards and appropriate door and window trim. Concrete composition planks may be appropriate for new construction.
4. Repair wooden features by patching, piecing-in, or otherwise reinforcing the wood. Repair may also include limited replacement with matching or with other compatible substitute materials, when elements remain and can be copied.
5. Wood features that are important in defining the overall historic character of the building should not be removed.
6. Replace only the deteriorated wood. Reconstructing in order to achieve a uniform or "improved" appearance is inappropriate because good historic materials can be lost.
7. An entire wooden feature that is too deteriorated to repair or is completely missing should be replaced in kind. If features are replaced, the materials they are made from should be compatible with the original in size, scale, and material. Replacement parts should be based on historical, pictorial, and physical documentation.
8. Paint should not be removed from unprotected wood surfaces in order to apply stain or clear finish to permanently reveal bare wood. This exposes historically painted surfaces to greatly increased weathering.
9. Remove damaged or deteriorated paint only to the next sound layer using the gentlest method possible (e.g., hand sanding or hand scraping). Older paint layers help protect the wood from moisture and sunlight. Paint removal should be considered only where there is paint surface deterioration or failure, and as part of an overall maintenance program which involves repainting or applying other appropriate protective coatings.
10. When paint must be removed, hand scraping is the best method to use. Electric hot-air guns can be used on decorative wood features and electric heat plates on flat wood surfaces. Use chemical strippers to supplement other methods such as hand scraping, hand sanding and electric heating devices. If detachable wood elements such as shutters, doors and columns are chemically stripped, do not allow them to soak in a caustic solution, which raises the grain and roughens the wood. If using electric heating devices, be sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy, since fires can easily be started and wood can be scorched.

Additions
1. Locate attached exterior additions at the rear or on an inconspicuous side of a historic building, limiting the size and scale in relationship to the historic building. Proportion is very important.
2. Design new additions in a manner that makes clear what is historic and what is new.
3. Consider the attached exterior addition both in terms of the new use and the appearance of other buildings in the Historic district. Design for the new work may be contemporary or may reference design motifs from the historic buildings. In either case, it should always be clearly differentiated from the historic building and be compatible in terms of mass, materials, size, texture, scale, relationship of solids to voids, and color.
4. Place new additions, such as balconies or solar greenhouses, on non-character-defining elevations, and limit the size and scale in relationship to the historic building.
5. Rather than expanding the size of the historic building by constructing a new addition, try to alter interior spaces that do not define the character of the building to accommodate the new space needs
7. New work should not appear to be as old as the historic building. Do not duplicate the exact form, material, style, and detailing of the historic building in the new addition.
8. New additions should not cause a lessening or loss of historic character, including the historic building's design, materials, workmanship, location, or setting.

Demolition
1. Demolition of any original feature or part of a historic building should be avoided.
Applicant

Sarah Morrow, Uplifted Properties LLC


Planning Staff
Lindsay Crockett
Phone: 865-215-3795
Email: lindsay.crockett@knoxplanning.org

Case History