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Board approves two‑unit duplex at 958 Chickamauga with setback deviation
Summary
The Downtown Design Review Board approved a certificate of appropriateness for a two‑unit duplex at 958 Chickamauga, granting a deviation to allow the front massing to shift back 4–8 feet so it better aligns with adjacent porches; approval included staff conditions about foundation height and retention of porch details.
The Downtown Design Review Board approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new two‑unit duplex at 958 Chickamauga Avenue under the city’s middle‑housing standards and added a condition to permit an increased front setback so the porch and massing better align with neighboring houses.
Staff described the project as a 35‑by‑53.5 foot duplex with a basement garage accessed from a rear alley, fiber‑cement lap siding, a stucco‑clad foundation and a full‑length front porch recessed under a shed roof. Staff recommended approval subject to standard conditions including site plan revisions to meet city engineering standards, returning to the board for any major foundation height changes, and retaining porch posts and gable brackets as depicted.
Board members raised concerns that the proposed front massing read slightly forward of adjacent porches. The staff explained middle housing setback rules require measurement to conditioned space and that the board may approve an alternative dimensional standard. Applicant Drew Whitmer of Recursive Properties indicated willingness to move the building back if the board recommended it. The board approved the COA with a condition to allow a front setback increase of roughly 4 to 8 feet to better align with neighboring houses.
The approval was recorded as a motion carried; the applicant indicated the team will adjust grading as needed to accommodate the setback and follow the remaining staff conditions before final permitting.
