Agenda Number: HDC 16-05
Meeting Date: April 28, 2016
REPORT TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION
SUBJECT: Resolution 2016-14- A resolution to amend the
Historic District Design Guidelines for the purpose of
preventing repetitious architectural designs for new homes.
EXHIBITS
1. Resolution 2016-14, 4/20/16:
-Attachment A, 4/40/16
2. HDC Meeting Minutes related to
request
INTRODUCTION: Resolution 2016-14 would amend the
portion of the Historic District Design Guidelines document
related to the design of new residential structures (homes) to prevent repetitious home designs in the same
general area as the new home proposed for construction. The Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopts
amendments to the Historic District Design Guidelines by resolution after a recommendation is made by the
Historic District Commission (HDC).
Since the March 2016 HDC meeting, the HDC held a non-voting work session on April 18th to consider
alternative language to what was discussed in March. The new language discussed at that meeting, which has
been transposed into Exhibit 1, removes the requirement for restrictive covenants and any reference to “infill”
and “subdivisions”.
KEY QUESTIONS: The HDC may find the following questions helpful in determining whether it is
appropriate to recommend approval of Resolution 2016-14 to the BMA:
1. What prompted this change? At recent meetings of the HDC, concerns have been raised about whether
the Guidelines are strong enough to encourage architectural diversity in infill subdivisions and to avoid
repetitious home designs (see Exhibit 2). Repetitious home designs often occur in larger subdivisions
outside of the local Historic District when a limited number of builders repeat the same home design with
little variation. While this could be appropriate in a suburban context, in the Historic District, which evolved
over different time periods often via very different and distinct styles (e.g. Classical Revival, Colonial
Revival, Minimal Traditional, and Queen Anne, Tudor, Four Square, Bungalow, etc), repetitious home
designs have not been part of the historic development pattern and should be avoided.
With the Stratton Heights Subdivision, the issue of style for infill homes was debated. The minutes from the
January 2015 meeting note that, “the issue of new houses being compatible with the District was brought up
at the last meeting, and the Board struggled with the idea of dictating a certain style within a certain area
when the requested style was correctly following the Historic Guidelines” and that “the Board accepted the
idea of an eclectic pattern of homes in this area.” While the HDC clearly has the ability to deny home
designs that would be repetitive, the HDC has also raised concerns that by the time they formally consider a
home, substantive investment (time, emotional, and financial) has already been made by the lot owner,
builder, and architect for the proposed home’s design.
2. What would be different if this amendment was adopted? The HDC must approve a Certificate of
Appropriateness for any new home built in the local Historic District and uses guidelines, adopted by the
BMA and based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, to make sure the home’s
exterior architecture is appropriate. The staff will continue to require a preapplication conference before a
new home will be accepted for review by the HDC. At such meetings, staff will provide guidance as to what
types of facades will be considered appropriate and what is inappropriate, based on the adopted Historic
Design Guidelines. When the HDC considers a new residential “infill” home, staff will continue to use in
4/22/2016 8:26:39 AM
Page 1 of 2
staff reports and presentations pictures of existing or approved homes on the same block face of the
proposed home site so that the HDC can make sure that the proposed façade is not a repetitious design.
If Resolution 2016-14 (Exhibit 1) is adopted by the BMA, the staff and HDC would use the following new
text in the Guidelines to dissuade property owners, architects, and builders from applying for a home design
that is too similar to another nearby home:
Repetitious and cookie-cutter designs for homes, such as using the same architectural details on
multiple buildings with little or no variation for added interest are inappropriate in Collierville’s
Historic District. In addition to appropriate scale and proportion, architectural variety is appropriate
and will be considered a requirement for approval.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND: In their various forms throughout the years, the Historic District Design
Guidelines have been used by design professionals and property owners as they work to design a building and
related site improvements that are compatible with their surroundings and appropriate for the most historic
portions of Collierville. The Town has had design guidelines since 1989, and the BMA adopted the Design
Guidelines in its latest form in 2002. They have been amended since then to address changing community
needs, and will likely need future revision to address changing community needs over time. At this point, a
number of new homes and commercial buildings, additions, fences, and signs, have been built under the 2002
format of the Design Guidelines, and they have proven to be very effective at ensuring quality. From time-totime, it becomes necessary to amend such guidelines to address changing community needs. The Design
Guidelines were last amended by Resolution 2011-46. The most notable changes in 2011 streamlined and
clarified the Certificate of Appropriateness process, updated the signage section to clarify sign types and
codified often granted exceptions, and clarified that alleys are appropriate on a case-by-case basis.
EXAMPLE MOTION: To recommend approval to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) of Resolution
2016-14, a resolution to amend the Historic District Design Guidelines for the purpose of preventing
repetitious architectural designs for new houses, as depicted in Exhibit 1.
CONTACTS:
Applicant
Contact:
Organization:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
4/22/2016 8:26:39 AM
Historic District Commission
Town of Collierville
500 Poplar View Parkway
Collierville, TN 38017
901.457.2360
901.457.2354
Project Planners
Jaime W. Groce, AICP (primary)
Nancy Boatwright, AICP
Town of Collierville
500 Poplar View Parkway
Collierville, TN 38017
901.457.2360
901.457.2354
Page 2 of 2
Exhibit 1
RESOLUTION 2016-14
A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGN
GUIDELINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PREVENTING REPETITIOUS
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS FOR NEW HOMES.
WHEREAS, it has been determined that the Historic District’s Design Guidelines are a
commonly used tool intended to balance the welfare of the general public with the
interests of individual property owners; and,
WHEREAS, the Historic District’s Design Guidelines are used by property owners and design
professionals as they work to design a building and related site improvements that
protect historic resources within the local historic district, are compatible with
their surroundings, and appropriate for the Town of Collierville; and,
WHEREAS, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted the Design Guidelines in its latest
form in 2002, and they have been amended several times since then by the Board;
and,
WHEREAS, from time to time, it will be necessary to further refine and update the Historic
District’s Design Guidelines; and,
WHEREAS, the Historic District Commission reviewed the proposed amendment at the regular
meeting held on _________, and made a recommendation to the Board of Mayor
and Aldermen to approve the proposed amendments; and,
WHEREAS, a public hearing before the Board of Mayor and Aldermen was held on ________,
pursuant to notice thereof published in a newspaper of general circulation within
the community on _______.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND
ALDERMEN OF THE TOWN OF COLLIERVILLE, TENNESSEE THAT:
Section 1
Page p. 32 (Chapter II, Site Design, Subdivision Layouts) of the Historic District
Design Guidelines shall be amended to include the text in bold underline as
described in “Attachment A” herein.
Section 2
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall become effective
immediately after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.
Adopted this _____day of ____________, 2016.
___________________________________
Lynn Carmack, Town Clerk
Res. 2016-14
4/20/16
__________________________________
Stan Joyner, Mayor
1 of 1
GUIDELINES FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
ALLEY/REAR SERVICE DRIVE
k. Locate any garage to the rear or side of the
new subdivision house, since it is usually the
most noticeable feature on a new house and
frequently is not architecturally integrated
with the house.
l. Preserve the architectural character of the
adjoining historic district by using similar
setbacks, spacing, directional expression,
and orientation for new house design. Also
use materials, roof forms, window patterns
and other elements that reflect the traditional character of the district.
m. Use the similar streetscape elements in new
subdivisions as in existing historic surroundSTREET
STREET
ings. These elements may include sidewalks, Garages located off an alley, or at the rear of the lot, don’t detract
planting strips, lighting and signs. Human
from the architectural character of the street (see guidelines left
scale and pedestrian proportions should be regarding alleys in the historic district).
considered when designing streetscape elements.
n. Preserve any older, larger trees within the new
subdivision in order to blend in with the rest of
the historic district.
o. Plant new street trees to create a canopy over the
road like many existing lanes within the district.
p. Alleys were not found in the historic residential
areas of Collierville, but it is also true that the
historic pattern of residential development in
Collierville’s local historic district over the decades has varied and is inconsistent. As a result,
House designs within Magnolia Square have vernacthere is no regular pattern of lot sizes or configuular architectural features that relate well to local
rations. Alleys are pre-WWII subdivision techhistoric designs.
niques that are historically-based and that respond to existing street frontages and setbacks to
maintain the character of the local historic district. Alleys are an option for providing vehicular
access and to minimize “garagescape” architecture for use on a case-by-case basis if setbacks
(see p. 33) and spacing (see p. 34) are appropriately addressed along the perimeter of the development.
q. Repetitious and cookie-cutter designs for homes,
such as using the same architectural details on
multiple buildings with little or no variation for
added interest are inappropriate in Collierville’s
Historic District. In addition to appropriate scale
and proportion, architectural variety is appropriate and will be considered a requirement for approval.
32
Page revised
4/20/16
Using similar streetscape elements, such as benches
and light poles, helps to incorporate the new subdivision into the surrounding area.
Exhibit 2
Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Thursday January 28, 2016
Other Business
Chairman Lee asked if there was any other business.
Mr. Groce stated the Town would like to honor a couple of the Commissioners. Commissioner Laura Todd serving for
10 years. Commissioner Richard Kelsey serving for 20 years.
He stated the North Main Rezoning has been to the Planning Commission. The BMA has yet to rezone the property
and a related item will be going to the Planning Commission to ask for rural intersection & sidewalk wavier for the
Moss Minor Subdivision. He stated there is a site plan pending for a hair salon on South Main. The property is zoned
industrial they have asked to rezone it to Mix Use. He stated the Stamps have property that is part of this rezoning to
Mixed Use. There will be a total of three tracts involved. If adopted, it will be the first time that south of the Square
will use Mix Use zoning since the District was created in 2011.
Commissioner Cox stated how every house looked the same in a subdivision around Shelton and wants to add to the
Guidelines that the builder can’t repeat the same floor plan in a subdivision in the Historic District. He would like
Staff to look into amending the Guidelines to prevent that from happening in the Historic District.
There was a discussion over the process of amending the guidelines, which takes a Resolution adapted by the BMA
after a formal review and recommendation by the HDC.
With no further business, Chairman Lee adjourned the meeting at 5:53 p.m.
Historic District Commission Meeting Minutes
Thursday February 25, 2016
Other Business
Chairman Lee asked if there was any other business.
Mr. Groce stated the March 22, 2016 Historic Meeting will be on a Tuesday due to a Town holiday. At this meeting
Derrick Honeycutt, General Services Director, will provide updates on the historic high school and share plans for the
new bathrooms on the Square. He stated they have a sign permit pending for the building on the north side of the
Square where Yolo was. He wanted their opinion on Stratton Heights Lot 8. He stated the property owner has
redesigned the plans that didn’t exactly meet one of the Historic District Commission conditions. He explained the
requested change in plans to the Historic District Commission.
There was a discussion over wall thickness on the redesigned Stratton Heights Lot 8 plan.
A discussion ensued about adding a window or shutters to the long empty wall and redesigning of the two rear
elevation are the same with an addition of two windows on the wall if the applicant wants to keep the carport on the
west elevation.
There was a discussion over amending the Historic District Commission Guidelines to not allow repetitive elevation
and floorplans for homes in the Historic District and Mr. Groce said he would confer with Administration about
getting this on the next HDC agenda.
There was a discussion over MLGW cutting down trees in the Historic District and their tree trimming practices.
With no further business, Chairman Lee adjourned the meeting at 6:03 p.m.
HDC 2-25-16
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