Historic Zoning Commission

Old North Knoxville H: Level II

1-D-21-HZ

Applicant Request

Repair and replacement in patches of existing wood clapboard siding; replacement of existing asphalt shingle roof with new asphalt shingle roof; new gutters.

Previous owner removed the chimney without permits or a COA in fall 2019. The previous COA issued for the property, 12-J-19-HZ, required the roof and chimney details to return to the HZC for further review. The previous owner sold the property in December 2020. Instead of reconstructing the chimney, the new owner (applicant) is proposing to enclose the roof with no chimney.

Site Info

One-story frame residence, resting on a brick foundation, clad in weatherboard siding. Cross-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles. One-story, one-bay front porch with square wood columns. Interior brick chimney centered on ridgeline. Rectangular plan. Two entry doors.

1. 404 E. Oklahoma Avenue is a contributing resource to the Old North Knoxville National Register Historic District and the local historic overlay.

2. Repair and replacement in-kind in patches of existing wood clapboard siding and replacement of the existing asphalt shingle roof are in-kind repairs that meet the design guidelines.

3. The chimney in question was a relatively small, modest, square, interior chimney which had been clad in stucco at an undetermined date. No detailing was visible under the stucco cladding.

4. The chimney was removed by a previous owner without permits or a COA in June 2019. The interior fireplace structure below the chimney was also removed. The previous owner completed several reviews by the Historic Zoning Commission (7/2019, 11/2019, and 12/2019), and the most recent COA issued for the property (12-J-19-HZ) requested the roof and chimney details to return to the HZC for further review.

5. The new owner purchased the property in December 2020. The removed chimney has remained as a hole in the roof, covered with a tarp since its removal in summer 2019, which has likely contributed to moisture damage to roof framing and interior features.

6. Previous reviews of chimneys in Old North Knoxville have occurred when applicants request to remove existing chimneys, often due to deterioration caused by deferred maintenance. In this instance, the chimney is already missing, along with the fireplace underneath, and the applicant does not intend to construct an interior fireplace.