Historic Zoning Commission

Tazewell Pike NC-1: Level III

3-E-20-HZ

Applicant Request

Level III. Construction of new primary building

Proposed single-family residence at 4002 Tazewell Pike. House proposed for the east/southeast side of Tazewell Pike, in place of a house which burned and was demolished in May 2019. The house is 45' wide by 47' long on the southwest elevation and 58' long on the northeast elevation (including the front porch). The house is set back 122' from Tazewell Pike, with a front setback that is almost identical to the previous house. The one-story house has a side-gable roof with a 7/12 pitch, clad in asphalt shingles, with two nested front-gable roof massings projecting to the front, also with a 7/12 pitch.

The house is a contemporary adaptation of the Craftsman style. The house will rest on a stuccoed foundation. The exterior siding will be Hardie Board lap siding, with a 6" exposure, featuring Hardie trim and Hardie corner boards.

The façade (northwest) features two nested front-gable roof massings, with the 9'-6" deep front porch projecting from the left side of the facade. The larger front gable field is clad in Hardie shingle siding. The porch features decorative wood brackets, a triangular wood vent, and stuccoed pier supports. Porch railing is simple wood pickets. House plans show an open gable with wood timbering; applicant is proposing a closed front-gable field with Hardie shingle cladding. The primary entry is a six-light Craftsman-style door with single-light sidelights and a transom (door specifications to match those submitted in additional documentation, not basic house plans).

A secondary entry is located on the right (southwest) elevation. Left (northeast) elevation to feature a small shed-roof massing that projects 2'-6" from the elevation, and a chimney clad in brick veneer. The rear (southeast) elevation features a centrally-located 13' wide, gable-roof porch. Rear elevation will feature paired, multi-light fiberglass doors.

Window sizes vary but windows to match specifications provided by applicant; Pella Impervia fiberglass, double-hung sash with a Craftsman-style 3/1 pattern.

Other proposed details include 6" Hardie trim around the windows, 6" Hardie cornerboards, exposed rafter tails, and triangular wood brackets.

Conditions identified at 3/19/20 HZC meeting:
1) Windows and doors to match specifications submitted by applicant and not those on house plans
2) Enclosed front and rear porch gables, with eave overhangs consistent with house and triangular wood brackets
3) One additonal window on left elevation (left of the shed-roof bay) and one additional window on the right elevation
4) Window and door trim and cornerboards to be 4"

Site Info

Vacant lot. Previous house was a one-story Craftsman-style house which was damaged by fire in 2018 and demolished in 2019.

1. The proposed single-family residence at 4002 Tazewell Pike would take the place of a previous single-family residence which was demolished in 2019. At 122' away from the front property line, the new residence maintains the established front setback pattern of houses fronting Tazewell Pike. The new house will utilize the existing driveway and existing garage. The front façade meets the guidelines, in that the façade and primary entry front Tazewell Pike. Placement of the house is appropriate.

2. Houses fronting Tazewell Pike are a variety of heights, including several larger two-story and one-and-one-half-story houses. The proposed residence is only approximately 4' wider than the previous house on the lot. The one-story Craftsman-style house is an appropriate height and scale for the neighborhood context.

3. Per the guidelines, the houses on Tazewell Pike "are not simple box-like structures" and feature a diverse array of styles. The proposed house design exhibits the variation in rooflines recommended in the guidelines, including "telescoping gables" and front porches.

4. Guidelines recommend incorporating the "type of features that have formed the aesthetics of contributing structures" into new residential design. The new house at 4002 Tazewell Pike features elements characteristic of the Craftsman style, including exposed rafter tails, wide front porches supported by tapered columns, decorative wood brackets, and Craftsman-style doors and windows. The roof pitch of 7/12 meets the guidelines. While the multi-light transom on the rear elevation is not a form typically found on Craftsman houses, it will not be visible from any public right-of-way due to the house's large front setback.

5. The "clapboard-like material" of HardiePlank siding is an appropriate material within the guidelines, along with Hardie shingles, which are noted in the guidelines to be "occasionally used, particularly in Craftsman styles." The asphalt shingle roof and stuccoed foundation are also appropriate materials.

6. One additional window on the left elevation and one additional window on the right elevation would help the house maintain the patterns of transparency and window symmetry visible on the street's older houses.

7. The existing garage meets the specifications of the design guidelines, which note that detached garages shall be located behind and to the side of primary houses. A new garage constructed on the site would be required to conform to the guidelines and "be designed, using windows, materials, and roof pitches, to appear as a component of the house." Removal of the small secondary shed is appropriate within the guidelines.

8. The site plan provided by the applicant notes the existence of numerous existing trees on the site to be retained with the new construction. These trees count to meet the standards outlined in the guidelines.