The Downtown Design Review Board approved construction of a new one‑story infill house at 1208 Ohio Avenue on May 21, subject to several staff conditions and an added requirement that the front porch columns be painted to match the neighborhood character.

Staff described the proposal as a one‑story house with board‑and‑batten siding, brick veneer on the facade, an 8/12‑pitch front gable roof, a block foundation clad in stucco and a large gravel driveway accessed from the street. Staff recommended changes to move the house closer to the front lot line to align with the block, revise parking so it is not in the front yard, increase the porch depth to the guideline‑recommended 8 feet, add one window to the rear elevation, and use consistent primary siding on all elevations.

Melinda Woolard, a Knoxville/Knox County planning staff member, presented the staff report and highlighted the site’s mature trees and the guideline expectation to preserve trees outside the building footprint. “The lot currently has a number of healthy, mature trees,” she said, and recommended retaining them where possible.

Applicant Javier Lopez, who identified himself as the property owner at 1208 Ohio Avenue, said the applicants had already revised the driveway proposal and would present updated drawings. Lopez confirmed the porch columns would be painted to coordinate with the brick accents.

Board members moved to approve the certificate with staff conditions and added the painted‑column requirement. The motion passed unanimously. The conditions to be reflected in the final site plan include: aligning the front setback with the block (final measurements to be provided to staff), revising parking to avoid the front yard and provide at least a single‑lane driveway extending at least 20 feet behind the facade if accessed from a driveway, increasing porch depth to 8 feet, adding one rear window, using consistent primary siding (revising board‑and‑batten to clapboard lap siding or full brick veneer), and including a native or naturalized shade tree in the front and rear yards while retaining existing trees where feasible.

The applicant will submit final site and construction plans to staff for conformity to the conditions before permitting.