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Design Review Board postpones plans for two duplexes on Chickamauga Avenue to allow redesign
Summary
The board postponed consideration of two proposed duplexes at 205 and 209 Chickamauga Avenue for 30 days, asking the applicant to show accurate grade, stair configuration and to reduce visual foundation height and differentiate the two buildings.
The Design Review Board voted on Feb. 18 to postpone consideration of two proposed two‑story duplexes at 205 and 209 Chickamauga Avenue to allow the applicant to address foundation height, grading, stair configuration and façade differentiation.
Planning staff said the duplexes would sit on recently cleared lots and currently feature a five‑foot‑tall foundation at the facade that increases visual scale. Staff recommended postponement so the applicant can reduce foundation height where feasible, add recessed or projecting features on side elevations to meet middle‑housing guidelines and provide clearer site and stair drawings.
Applicant Jesse Alacon told the board the rear slope retains water and that he plans grading revisions and a swale or piping to direct stormwater to a nearby drain. Board members repeatedly requested accurate grade and stair depictions—several said the plans did not show the number or orientation of steps required by the site’s slope and that updated drawings were essential for both aesthetic and permit review.
Board members emphasized that the two separate buildings must be differentiated from one another even if each lot’s duplex units read as a single, house‑scaled form. The board moved and carried a 30‑day postponement to allow the applicant to resubmit drawings and resolve the staff concerns; the postponement covers both case numbers referenced by staff.
