IHPNA General Meeting
H1 Overlay
October 30, 2007

Approximately 65 people in attendance.

Carole Allen opened the meeting by explaining why we are undergoing this process. She said there had been some interest in the idea of an H1 overlay and the IHPNA Board of Directors voted to establish a committee to investigate the process and present the information to the board and the neighborhood. This is the first of many meetings to share that information.

On November 14th there will be a meeting for some other topics of concern to neighbors. This will include traffic calming, schools and playground. H1 overlay will not be a topic at the November 14th meeting.

Please watch the kiosk and the website for current information.
Membership dues are now being collected and we are updating information for the directory. You can pay Carolyn after the meeting.

Rachel Craig, Chairperson of the H1 committee introduced herself and also introduced City Council members Joe Bailey and Bob Becker. Joe Hultquist was out of town and unable to attend.

Rachel began by saying why we are looking at the H1 now. We have been very fortunate because our neighborhood is sheltered and has remained a historic neighborhood. We have not "gone down" and had to come back like some neighborhoods in Knoxville. We do not have encroachment now, but may have it soon. We wanted to start the conversation now. We had a house burn down. The South Knox Waterfront development will spark an interest in Island Home and may bring some infill. We may face tear downs - buy the house, tear it down and build a new house. The board approved the following people (who are present tonight) as members of the H1 committee: Lance Dean, Katie Hannah , Chloe Chitwood, Barb Arnold, Donna Wilson-Renner, Robin McAdoo, Mitzi Congleton, Jeff Williamson, Jeanne Fair and Brian Douglas. The committee has met with Ann Bennett and with many of the other historic neighborhoods. We did architectural research. We have been researching the history of each house. If you have additional historic information on your house, please let us know about it. We will always have the great history, even if the H1 does not pass. You should have received a packet of information concerning the Draft Guidelines. Everything is on our website. Make sure if you are an absentee owner the we have your address.
Tonight we will discuss the draft design guidelines.

Design Guidelines:
Opening the conversation. Rachel explained we will take your feedback and comments, revise the guidelines and do that as many times as needed. This is a process. At the end, we will have a formal vote. All the committee wants to stress this is a neighborhood process and will be a neighborhood decision. Please be sure you understand that.

We have Ann Bennett from Metropolitan Planning Commission. Ann is a member of the Knoxville/Knox Co Zoning Commission. This commission is for H1 Historic Neighborhoods exterior changes only. There are 4 levels of building permits. Level 1 is standard repairs only. The city requires anything over $100.00 requires a building permit. This does NOT regulate paint! Level 1 repairs include: general repairs in which you are following the guidelines and following what was there. Ann can issue that permit.

Level II includes additions or changes. Level III includes new buildings. Level IV includes demolition or relocation. The commission meets monthly. We realize changes will happen, and we want to make that change blend with the current neighborhood. If you have an enclosed front porch etc. etc. there is NOTHING that will require you to change that. This is a very common misunderstanding. You can repair and maintain that. If you are planning an addition, or uncovering a porch or changing the outside of your house then we will have to approve it. We do not regulate paint colors.

You can put suggested paint colors that are historic paint colors.

Fences are not regulated. Your guidelines will say what is appropriate. If it does not need a permit, it does not involve the Historic Zoning Commission. The commission is composed of 9 people appointed by the city and county mayors and approved by the council. The members come from many different backgrounds. Some have lived in historic neighborhoods or have an affection for historic houses. If you have a problem, I will help with your research and the commission is willing to go out and help you. Another thing is that a H1 neighborhood will name a liaison to the commission. All our information is on line, but we need someone to call who has a direct line to the issues in a neighborhood. This means we have a direct line to the commission.

Lance Dean is the moderator and is asking everyone to please state your name/address before asking your questions. We will try to give everyone a chance to ask questions.

Lane Cooper, 2321 IHB. What other neighborhoods have the H1?
4th and Gill, Old North, Fairmont, Old Concord, Lincoln Park and Mechanicsville.

Jeff Williamson, 2103 IHB - What impact did the H1 have - what is the background?
1st was Mechanicsville in1992 and it is now a safe. It includes a small area-triangular area. Commercial buildings have even come along. Residents were not displaced. Before the overlay, over ½ the houses were condemned. New houses are now being built. Old North has the H1. They are best known for their home tours. A lot of positive changes have happened in the last 10 years. Old North has almost tripled in resell values. When they interviewed people who moved in it was because they wanted to move into an H1 to ensure that everyone follows the same standards. We helped develop the guidelines and the historic committee fine tunes them.

Lynn - What are the boundaries of the National Register?
The National Register is Island Home Boulevard, some homes on Maplewood and some on Spence Place. The boundaries for the H1 can be larger or smaller. We have not determined the boundaries.
Rachel Craig (committee chairperson) We started with the entire neighborhood and will eliminate sections as needed.
Lynn - Many of these areas were blighted. What can we compare to Island Home? The best example will be Tazewell Pike as an NC1. This designation does not regulate as much and is used for a wider range of architectural styles. They were concerned about development, vacant lots and infill. The instability they sensed before the designation has gone.
H1 areas can have new construction.

Joanna Pennoyer, 2026 Maplewood - With the H1, can we manipulate the guidelines or do we have to follow the national guidelines? Also, I've heard that the R1EN might be a possibility for us.
Rachel: The Knox overlay says we are based on the national guidelines. We can write detail guidelines but cannot violate them.

Doug Allen, 2125 Spence Place - What's your definition of historic?
The National Register defines it as a house that is at least 50 years old. I would also include craftsmanship, materials or a design that is unique. Also considered would be if it was a place where a historic event has happened or has contributed to broad patterns of history or archeology that will contribute to history. A house does NOT have to have George Washington slept there to be historic.

Luanne Dagley, 2134 Maplewood - There are many of us on Maplewood with smaller houses/limited income. What will happen to those people?
First, historic zoning has a hardship clause. People who can't afford to follow the guidelines will not be forced to do so. Ann has worked here for 25 years and lived in 4 houses and has never seen a historic repair that was more expensive than the new repair. Knox Heritage just rehabilitated a house on Washington Avenue. The walls were slate. Now they have a slate substitute. They are making a lot of substitute materials. They used to have novelty siding and it was old and unrepairable. We have to compromise on some things.

Daniel Jerrolds, 2120 Maplewood- I have many questions but first where do you get the 51 %?
Knoxville requires that. Every homeowner will get a vote by registered mail.
OK, where did the guidelines that we received where did they come from?
The IHPNA committee worked on these guidelines.
I appreciate the association and the neighborhood, but can we all agree on all the changes? We are trying to repair our house and we can only afford to fix one room at a time. We got the vinyl windows replacements. I see people on the committee who have replacements that do not meet the guidelines. I don't understand how you can have all the changes and then say that we can't do it. It's not fair.

Becky Luper, 2021 Maplewood - I agree with restrictions, but I think you should not tell us what kind of roof color or windows. My family has lived here for over 85 years and do not think people who have lived here for 5 minutes should be coming in and telling us what to do.

Dixie Houck, 2307 Island Home Blvd. - How many votes do multiple property owners get?
One per property.

Daniel Jerrolds- How do you define hardship and income formula?
This is based on a formula I can't state exactly, but involves income and costs of repairs.

Rich Brink: Island Home Blvd. There is a new product coming out which is a cement product like the hardiplank. Could it be used?
The true hardiplank is heavy and your structure may not support it.

Carole Allen, 2129 Spence Place. What about solar panels?
According to the guidelines, these would not be on 50% of the houses.

Roddocker, 2140 IHB - If you have a slate/concrete do you replace it with that.
No.

Bob Haws, 2011 Spence Place. I've lived here for 75 years. What is contemporary? Shingles? Windows?

Rebecca Simmons, 2126 Fisher Place - I love my windows. They are character of my house. The windows are not efficient, but when you buy an old house that is what you get. I love the old windows.

Daniel Jerrolds - What's the objection of the vinyl?
Historic objection is that is changes the look of the house. Storm windows are acceptable.

Daniel Jerrolds: I can't tell the difference between the vinyl and the wood windows. I challenge anyone to stand in front of my house and tell the difference between the wood and vinyl.

Greg Congleton, 2101 Spence Place - If I have a problem with my windows, then the commission can provide some advice?
\Yes

Barb Arnold, 2208 Hillsboro Heights. I restored and recaulked all my windows.

Skip Scalf, 2207 Hillsboro Heights. Do you want to see what happens when you add vinyl windows to a historic building? The Ward Building at TSD replaced the windows with vinyl and it's obvious.

Porches: transparent screening or glass.
Tom Blamey, 2027 Island Home Blvd - If you can't see the floor, are there regulations on porch floors?
It would depend on your guidelines.

Katie Hannah, 2218 Fisher Place - The H1 seems to indicate to keep the house the same in the historic overlay . Can you change a porch to make it look more historic?
Yes.

Carolyn Williams, 1931 Maplewood. We built a deck and replaced the metal steps. We are at the end, can we do work on the 3 sides that are viewable from the street?
It depends on what the new will look like not that you can't do it. I know the work at your house.

f Entrances:
Bob Haws - Glass storm doors. Can you have the guards on it?
If it's toned downed.

Exterior Walls:
Carole Allen: Exterior paint can be removed by water blasting. Can we clarify that?
The difference between blasting and pressure washing is that you can put your hand in front of the water stream without removing skin.

Masonry should not be painted. There is now a lot of discussion about this in Indiana and Illinois. People who paint masonry often end up with mold and moisture problems.

How many guidelines are national guidelines?
Our guidelines are based on the national ones. You can go to the website and read the documents.

Vinyl siding cannot be added. There is a provision that if you replace less than 49% you can use the vinyl.

Lane Cooper: I have wood siding. The biggest problem is trying to find people in Knoxville to do it. It is also very expensive and time consuming. Do you know people in Knoxville that will do it?
Call Knox Heritage at 523-8008.

New Construction:
Carole Allen - Do we anticipate street widening or narrowing?
Houses on the waterfront will be on the flood plain so the foundation on those will be determined by the city guidelines.
Maximum lot coverage for a new house is in the city guidelines.
Postage boxes have to be on the street. Ann - Unless it is in a historic district.

Dorcas Haws: How many vacant lots are there?
Rachel - We have 8 or 9. This is not exact.

Auxiliary or Outbuilding:
David Ratledge, 2214 Maplewood. I noticed you mentioned satellite dishes, but what about antennas? I am a HAM operator.
HAM operators are exempt.

Joanna Pennoyer: What about front yard fencing? Can we add front yard fencing to our guidelines? What about chain link fences?

Carole Allen - Why are swimming pools included? Why is a back yard item added since I thought this was street view only? What about garages? What about aluminum carport covers? I would like to see that added.

Jessica Roddocker - can we have a workshop ie: synthetic material vs replacement? Ann can send you a copy of that and the committee will deal with it. We will look into having a workshop.

Carole Allen: Many people said they wished we had received the information earlier.
There were some delays with the printing and the delivery. We are aware it was late. It was on line a week ago.

Mike Rogers, 2250 Hillsboro Heights - Are our guidelines comparable to other neighborhoods?
All guidelines are on the website: knoxheritage.org.
What percent voted?
The highest % was in Mechanicsville. In Old North - 3 opposed and in 4th and Gill - 4 or 5 opposed.

Rachel - We will circulate a petition asking people to say yes or no so we will have name/address of yes votes, no votes and don't know.

Daniel Jerrolds - some of the homes are already on the national register. Can other homes be added?
It is completely different from the H1 for protection. People want to protect against tearing down a house and trailers. .

Cole Wallen. IHB. I just move in and took out vinyl windows. I love my original windows.

Carole Allen: What comes next? An R1EN or NC1?
R1EN will not do what we want like Holston Hills. They have homes on big lots and that designation saves the lots from subdividing. NC1 is another overlay. We did talk to Ann about those with an NC1.

Doug Allen: Who is we?
The committee who is working on the H1. No one is trying to force feed you. We are trying to let everyone understand what is involved in the process.

Carole Allen: My understanding of the R1EN and NC1 is different from your understanding. We may go in that direction.

Bob Becker - R1EN is a large lot subdivision and I don't think it would apply here. MPC is currently developing guidelines for infill housing.

Connie Vogt, 2114 IHB - I came from Atlanta where infill housing is a big problem. It is not good for the neighborhoods.

Bob Haws: How many homes have been torn down? We have not been threatened in the past, but there are some things in the horizon and should we be protected?
South Knoxville Waterfront redevelopment will spark an interest here and we are in danger of what is happening in Sequoyah Hills with the small homes being torn down and huge houses being built.

Daniel Jerrolds: How does this thing get approved with 51%?
If it only gets 51% it will not be approved. If we get it approved, it is done through Historic Zoning Commission, Metropolitan Planning Commission and City Council.

Next step: we will take all the information and revise the guidelines and will present it again after the first of the year.
The minutes will be on the website as soon as possible.
Please pick up your research on the stage.

Adjourned: 9:00pm.