Staff recommends approval of the work as proposed, with the condition that the applicant receive the necessary variances at the 6/15/2021 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. A revised site plan with no changes to overall massing or exterior elevation designs could be approved by staff.
New secondary structure (garage/accessory dwelling unit). Outbuilding will be located behind primary residence and oriented to the alley, set 5' from the interior side property line and recessed behind the primary house. Outbuilding will measure 29'-4" wide by 22'-11" deep, with a 678 sq. ft. footprint.
The outbuilding is a one-and-one-half-story, rectangular structure with a 12/12 pitch, side-gable roof clad in asphalt shingles. The exterior is clad in smooth-finish HardiePlank lap siding with a 4" exposure, and the building will rest on a concrete slab foundation. Exterior details include 1' eave overhangs, 5.5" HardieTrim rake board and frieze boards, a 5/4 x 10 smooth-finish HardieTrim belt band with a drip cap dividing the first story from the upper gable fields, and 5/4 x 4 smooth-finish Hardie cornerboards. Windows are one-over-one, double-hung wood windows and four-light fixed wood windows.
On the southeast elevation (labeled front elevation, facing backyard on drawings), paired, one-third light doors are centered on the first story. The doors measure approximately 7' tall, with a 17" diameter barn light with goose-neck arm centered above. A gable-roof dormer is centered above the doors, with a 12/2 pitch roof with 1' eave overhangs, two adjoining one-over-one, double-hung wood windows, and a detail in the window head casing to match window detail on the main house.
On the southwest elevation (labeled side elevation, facing neighboring garage on drawings), one one-over-one, double-hung wood window is centered on the gable field.
The northwest elevation (rear elevation, facing alley) features two adjoining 7' tall steel garage doors with a cross-bracing detail, flanked by round barn lights with gooseneck arms to match the front elevation. A shed dormer (4/12 pitch) with three fixed four-light windows is centered on the roof slope.
The northeast elevation (side elevation, facing yard) features a single one-third light door on the left side and paired, flush, steel secondary doors on the right side. Two adjoining double-hung, one-over-one wood windows are centered on the gable field.
Two-story residence with wood weatherboard wall covering and a brick foundation. House features a hipped roof with lower cross gables clad in asphalt shingles, wood shingles in gable, and a pedimented lintel above attic windows. Two-story, three-quarter front porch featuring round Doric columns and a turned wood balustrade.
1. 215 E. Oklahoma Avenue is a contributing resource to the Old North Knoxville National Register Historic District and local overlay.
2. To move forward with the proposed project, the applicant has applied for variances related to rear yard setbacks, lot coverage, and parking. The staff recommendation is contingent on the applicant securing the necessary variances as the 6/15/2021 BZA meeting; otherwise, a revised site plan may be necessary. If the base zoning code requires the outbuilding to be moved slightly closer to the primary house, a revised site plan could be approved by staff.
3. The proposed outbuilding is located to the rear of the primary residence, recessed approximately 40' from the main house and oriented towards the alley. Placement of the outbuilding is appropriate. Due to the height of the 2.5-story primary residence and narrow lot widths, the outbuilding would be very minimally visible from E. Oklahoma Avenue, if visible at all.
4. Using the City of Knoxville's height measurement (measuring to the midpoint between eaves and ridge), the 1.5-story outbuilding measures approximately 17'-8.75" tall. From ground-level to roof peak is approximately 24' tall. The house measures approximately 38' tall to roof peak. The 1.5-story, rectangular outbuilding is clearly secondary (but complementary) in scale and massing to the primary residence. Overall height, scale, and massing are appropriate for a garage/accessory dwelling unit.
5. The side elevations front properties' rear yards which also have garages in similar locations, and will not be visible from the right-of-way. The side elevations use a belt band detail, upper-level windows, and two doors on the northeast elevations to break up large masses of siding. Roof dormers add additional complexity to the side elevations.
6. Design guidelines recommend: wood lap siding with a 4" lap, a 12/12 roof pitch, overhanging eaves, wood windows, and garage doors with cross-bracing details. The proposed design includes all of these elements, though using HardiePlank siding instead of wood lap siding. HardiePlank siding has been approved on new secondary structures in Old North Knoxville, provided it is smooth-finished and uses an exposure and trim details comparable to historic structures. The wood windows (four-light fixed dormer windows and one-over-one, double hung windows), along with the partial-light wood doors, are compatible with the primary residence. The proposed materials meet the design guidelines.
7. The proposed design uses siding exposure, window and door trim details, cornerboards, window casing details, and comparable roof slopes to connect the outbuilding with the primary residence.
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