Historic Zoning Commission

Fourth and Gill H-1: Level III

3-G-20-HZ

Applicant Request

Level III. Construction of new primary building

Proposed single-family residence fronting N. 3rd Avenue. House's façade will face west, creating a new development pattern fronting N. 3rd Avenue. The two-story house is 32' wide by 35' long and features a 27' floor to roof-peak height and a 2' tall raised brick foundation. The house features a cross-gable roof; the front-gable roof massing on the façade has a 10/12 roof slope and the side-gable roof massing has an 7/12 roof slope.

The house will rest on a brick foundation. The exterior siding will be HardiePlank lap siding with a 5" exposure and 4" Hardie corner boards. House features 14" eave overhangs, 6" wood fascia board, and 8" Hardie trim under the gable eaves.

A shed-gable roof porch projects from the left half of the façade. The porch is 8' deep and 15'-6" wide and supported by 6" square wood columns with a simple cap and base, and a balustrade of 2" by 2" by 36" tall wood balusters. A gable-roof entry stoop projects from the north elevation, with a 36" deep entry stoop. A recessed corner porch is located on the south corner of the house, supported by square wood columns, with a 36" tall wood balustrade to match the front porch.

Window sizes vary. The façade features two stories of one-over-one, double-hung wood windows on the left side (front-gable massing), paired one-over-one, double-hung wood windows on the first-story porch, and a single one-over-one, double-hung wood window on the second-story. Windows are proposed as Pella double-hung wood windows. The front entry is proposed as a 3/4-light fiberglass door, and the side entry is an eight-panel fiberglass door.

CONDITIONS approved at 8/20/2020 meeting: 1) the applicant seek, and receive, a variance from the BZA to set the proposed house further towards the rear property line (internet sound wall), reducing the rear setback from 25' to 10' and 2) the applicant select the rear elevation presented as the second option to the HZC, with a one-story gable-roof

Site Info

Vacant lot after houses were demolished during and after the construction of I-40 in place of N. 3rd Avenue. Houses on these lots were originally oriented towards the east, fronting N. 3rd Avenue.

1. As discussed in previous meetings, the proposed house will establish a new front setback pattern for the block. The other house on the block predates the construction of I-40, with a façade facing the former street. The City of Knoxville has stated that to build on this lot, the house must meet the setback requirements of the base zoning (RN-2), with a front setback of at least 20' (or the average of the blockface) and a rear setback of 25'.

2. Concerns about development on this block include that a new house which draws inspiration from other Queen Anne-style primary structures would not be "sensitive to the patterns already in the environment" (p.16). The guidelines also point to the development pattern of lots that are "usually rectangular, with their narrowest side parallel to the street, with houses that are "rectangular, or irregular, with narrow sides facing the street." Construction on a rectangular lot on this block has not been permitted.

The guidelines recommend maintaining historic façade lines of streetscapes by locating the front walls of new buildings in the same plane as the facades of adjacent buildings. The only other house on the block, 829 N. 3rd, has a façade facing the sound wall and I-40. Aligning the new house's façade with the façade line of the adjacent house would not be possible. 829 N. 3rd Ave. is set back 55-60' from the front property line. Construction of a new house with a comparable front setback would not be permitted.

Finally, guidelines indicate that a "building should not be visually incompatible or destroy historic relationships within the neighborhood." In the opinion of staff, the historic context on this particular block has already been severed by the construction of the Interstate. A maximum of three buildable lots (including this one) remain on the block. If new houses are designed to be visually compatible with the neighborhood context and meet the remainder of the guidelines, new construction on this block would not have an adverse effect on the integrity of setting, feeling, and association of the district.

3. The guidelines encourage relating the size and proportion of new structures to the scale of adjacent buildings. The two-story, 29' tall height and scale of the house does relate to 829 N. 3rd Ave. and nearby 611 Gill Street. Previous discussions have encouraged the applicant to consider a smaller sized house which would relate to the context of the alley as a carriage house type design. This should be discussed by the Commission.

4. The house lacks immediate neighbors from which to draw context for the façade's directional alignment (p.17). The façade and overall style draw inspiration from historic two-story houses in the neighborhood. The mix of vertical and horizontal elements from the two-story front-gable roof massing and the one-story porch sufficiently "breaks up uninteresting boxlike forms into smaller, varied masses." A chimney, projecting bay, or other visual detail on the right (south) elevation would add visual interest to the elevation.

5. The house uses a 2' raised masonry foundation similar to other houses in the neighborhood. Masonry is an appropriate foundation material.

6. The 10/12 pitch on the primary roof massing imitates the steep pitch of roofs on nearby houses in the same style. The 7/12 side-gable roof massing is often considered the minimal slope for new roofs in historic districts. The new application has incorporated 14" eave overhangs, 6" Hardie fascia trim, and round louvered vents. The roof is appropriate within the guidelines in material and color.

7. A one-story, shed-roof, 8' deep porch is an appropriate design for the house form. Square wood columns and a simple turned wood balustrade are appropriate materials for porch details. Incorporating a wood cornice below the porch eaves, with an eave overhang, will make the porch more consistent with historic designs.

8. One-over-one, double-hung wood windows are appropriate for new construction in the neighborhood. Window sizes are proportionate to the house and maintain a consistent rhythm on each elevation. Window headers and sills have been added in the new application.

9. The house has a strong sense of entry, as recommended in the guidelines. A 3/4 -light door is an appropriate door for the context.
10. The gable-roof stoop is an appropriate form for the secondary entry porch. The Commission should discuss the proportions and how it would present on the façade elevation. The secondary entry door is compatible in size, scale, and materials with the house and does not have the appearance of a primary entry.

11. The use of HardiePlank lap siding with a 5" exposure, 4" corner boards, trim boards, and window trim maintains continuity with neighboring historic houses.

12. The applicant has submitted two possible versions of the rear elevation for review. While the rear elevation will not be visible from the public right-of-way due to its placement next to the interstate sound wall, the overall massing and roofline should not detract from the house's overall effect. The alternate design would maintain consistent gable rooflines throughout the house.