Historic Zoning Commission

Ft. Sanders NC-1: Level III/IV

8-K-08-HZ

Applicant Request

Level IV. Demolition or relocation of contributing structure; Level III. Construction of new primary building

Demolish existing two story building, which is structurally compromised.

Site Info

Two story frame with gambrel end roof with asphalt shingle covering, full shed dormer on front elevation. Brick veneer wall covering on first floor and wood imbricated shingles on second. Paired sixteen over one double hung windows on second story, paired and tripled twelve over one and eight over one double hung windows on first story. Central recessed entry with nine light sidelights and six light half view entry door. Rectangular plan.

NOTE: The following replacement structure was denied, pending modification of the design. Construct new two story bungalow with lap siding, front gable roof with shingled front gable and exposed rafter tails, one story gabled front porch with kingpost, exposed trusses, and square wood posts on brick piers, sawn wood side rails, brick buttresses, eight over one windows, tripled on front elevation, rear cottage window with transom and one over one side windows, and tripled eight pane attic windows, brick foundation. New structure 16' from Clinch (with 10' deep front porch), 8' in each side yard, and a 31' rear setback with a 16' deep rear deck. Roof slopes and window measurements are not included on the submitted materials.
The proposed replacement structure is a two story frame with lap siding, a brick faced foundation, a front gable roof with a fairly shallow pitch, exposed rafter tails, imbricated shingles on the front façade with three multi-paned attic windows, exposed L-brackets and six over one windows. A one-half front porch with square posts on brick piers, an exposed truss systtem and sawn wood balustrade, and brick buttresses appears on the front façade.

The demolition of the existing building is allowed under pg. 22 of the design guidelines, paragraph J.1, which notes that "the HZC may allow demolition if a building has been condemned by the City of Knoxville for structural reasons . . . " The building that still stands at 1644 Clinch was apparently condemned by the city of Knoxville in 1998, although it continued to house tenants until 2006. Housing Codes Enforcement officials have indicated that structural issues are a part of the reason the building was condemned.

The applicant has also requested approval for construction of a new two story building of frame construction with Hardi-plank wall covering and shingles. The following points should be considered in discussing the proposed new design:

1) Hardi-plank wall covering is allowed under the design guidelines 9, pg. 9, #2, that allowed clapboard or clapboard-like and shingle or shingle-like materials.
2) The proposed Craftsman style is one of the historic building forms found in Ft. Sanders.
3) The applicant proposes a front gable roof that does include typical Craftsman style ornamentation. The Ft. Sanders Design Guidelines, B. Roofs, pg. 7 discuss the steep roofs, dormers, hipped roofs and other variations that are common in Ft. Sanders, while B2 calls for "variations in the form of the roof about the second story such as gables at different angles, hipped roofs and dormers". The roof slope in the submitted materials is not known, but appears to be 5/12 or 6/12.
4) Building height is appropriate.
5) Although the proposed infill building's front porch contains typical Craftsman-era detailing, the porch could be improved by increasing its width on the front façade. Typical porch width in Ft. Sanders is generally greater than the width of the porch on the proposed infill.
6) The proposed infill shows windows of varying size, but all are fairly small. The appearance of the building could be enhanced by small increases in the height and width of the windows, particularly on the second story.
7) The front setback for new buildings should be the same distance as the majority of pre-1940 houses on the block. (See pg. 16, I.1.) In this case, the setback for the original building was approximately 21 feet, which mimics the house next door to the east and a majority of the other houses on the block. The front porch, which is shown to extend ten feet into the front yard, may continue to extend into the front yard under the adopted design guidelines (see pg. 16, I. 3.) If a modification is made to the submitted design to allow for an increased setback, other elements of the design would be acceptable. The rear yard would be reduced by moving the building back on the lot, from 31 feet to approximately 26 feet.