Design Review Board

3-C-20-IH

Applicant Request

1. The alley is developed and should provide access. However, the alley sits 2-3 ft higher than the rear lot line and would require infill to function properly. The Commission may wish to consider the option to allow driveway access off of Watauga Avenue. However, to make this allowance, staff would recommend the parking pad should still be at the rear of the lot, so the driveway would need to extend past the house from the front to the back.
2. Proposed front and side setbacks are consistent with other houses on the street. The adjacent property to the west is set back 40 ft, while the front porch is set back 30 ft from the property line.
3. Neighboring houses each feature a walkway connecting the front porch or stoop to the street.
4. Lap siding more closely resembles the exterior materials historically utilized in the neighborhood.
5. The proposed deletion of three windows on the left façade of the house creates a very high solid-to-void ratio. Retaining these windows allows more natural light to penetrate the interior and keeps the ratio more balanced.
6. The porch is of appropriate materials and is consistent with other porch styles and sizes on the street. However, the Infill Guidelines recommend an 8-ft porch depth.
7. The carport is noted as being optional in the building plans and would not be built.
8. The back porch would be open-air, not screened in as drawn.

Staff recommends approval of the project with the following conditions:
1. Access should be from the alley since it is in working condition (p. 7).
2. Driveway and parking pad shall meet City of Knoxville Engineering Department requirements.
a. Parking pad shall be 18 ft x 20 ft.
b. If using a gravel surface, a minimum of 10-15 ft of asphalt or concrete is required to be installed from the street to keep gravel off of the alley, and landscape timbers must be installed along both sides of the driveway and around the parking pad to contain the gravel.
3. Parking pad should be screened with landscaping and/or fencing (p. 7).
4. Install a walkway from the front porch to the street to be consistent with other houses on the block (p. 5).
5. Utilize lap siding versus Dutch lap or horizontal panels to more closely resemble the exterior materials historically utilized in the neighborhood (p.13).
6. Expand the porch depth to 8 ft. (p. 9).
7. Shingles should be a dark color (p. 12).
8. Retain windows on the left façade as shown on the elevations, not as shown on the floor plans (p. 10).

Site Info

The applicant is proposing a new house and driveway for 820 Watauga Avenue.

Proposed Site:
1. The front setback of the primary structure is 39.6 ft. and the setback for the front porch is 30 ft. The side setback on the east is 19.4 ft. and on the west is 28.6 ft.
2. The applicant has stated he will keep as many trees as he is able.
3. Driveway access is proposed off of Watauga Avenue.

Proposed House:
1. The new house proposed is a 3-bedroom, 1-story structure with some Craftsman detail work, though the house is not in the Craftsman style. It has an asymmetrical front façade with a front porch on the right side. The front gable is 19 ft-4 in high; the side gable is set farther back and is 22 ft high.
2. The primary structure is 2,460 sq ft, measuring 30 ft wide x 82 ft long. The front porch is 14 ft wide x 6 ft long.
3. The porch roof is supported by two columns beneath a header. Wood rails and balusters run between the columns, and there are exposed rafters penetrating the header.
4. Gable roof in a complex roof form, utilizes shingles. Front gables have a 10:12 slope ratio; side gable has a 7:12 slope ratio. Both gables have a small, rectangular vent just below them.
5. Vinyl shakes adorn the walls beneath the front gable of the primary structure. The rest of the primary structure is clad in horizontal vinyl siding.
6. Exposed foundation will be brick.
7. The front façade has two sets of double windows flanking the front door. The left façade has five windows proposed along the lower level of its 82-ft length. The right side has five windows proposed for the lower level. Both side facades have a decorative window near the top of the roofline, making the house appear to be 1-1/2 stories, though it has only one level. All windows are 2-over-2.
8. Note 10 on the floor plan (Sheet 3) states that all bedroom windows meet egress requirements.
9. The front door is in character with the style of the house.