Knox DRB Sets Sept. 16 on Galbraith St Duplex COA 9-D-26-IH
Knoxville’s Design Review Board Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, agenda lists Infill Housing COA 9-D-26-IH for a new duplex at 3103 Galbraith St. (Parcel 81 I H 011) in the Lonsdale overlay, with staff recommending approval subject to setback, foundation, porch, and siding conditions.
Knoxville-Knox County Planning’s Design Review Board Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, 4:00 p.m. agenda lists Infill Housing Certificate of Appropriateness 9-D-26-IH for a new primary structure (duplex) at 3103 Galbraith St. — Parcel ID 81 I H 011 — in the Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District.
The staff report names Kenny Lockhart / Lockhart Properties as applicant and owner, places the lot in RN-2 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood), and recommends approval of Certificate 9-D-26-IH subject to conditions on the site plan, Middle Housing setbacks, foundation cladding, porch posts, and siding color relative to an adjacent duplex.
What the Sept. 16 packet asks the Board to decide
File 9-D-26-IH is a Level III new primary structure review under Infill Housing design guidelines. Staff describes a duplex measuring 27’ wide by 55’ deep, proposed 23’ from the front lot line, with a rear parking pad of four spaces accessed via the alley and a walkway from the front porch to the street.
Comments note the applicant intends to use Middle Housing standards (Article 4.6). A duplex with an identical design is proposed for the adjacent parcel to the north. Staff also flags that Middle Housing front-setback rules may require increasing the 23’ setback toward the blockface average of 31.5’.
| Field | Staff report / agenda |
|---|---|
| Meeting | Design Review Board, Sept. 16, 2026, 4:00 p.m. |
| File | 9-D-26-IH |
| Address | 3103 Galbraith St. |
| Parcel | 81 I H 011 |
| Overlay | Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay District |
| Zoning | RN-2 |
| Applicant / owner | Kenny Lockhart / Lockhart Properties |
| Product | New duplex, 27’ × 55’, ~23’ front setback |
| Parking | 4-space rear pad via alley |
| Staff | Recommend approval with conditions |
Scale, foundation, and porch conditions that affect neighbors
Staff notes the block features modified Queen Anne cottages and Craftsman bungalows that are one story, so the two adjacent duplexes would be the only two-story structures on the block. Visual scale is mitigated by trim and front-gable massing, but the roughly 4’ foundation height should be clad in stucco or brick rather than parge-coated, and major foundation-height changes should return to the Board.
Porch posts should be at least 6” by 6”. Staff also asks for a different primary siding color from the adjacent duplex and for the site plan to accurately reflect the porch footprint where the floor plan and site plan disagree on depth.
Middle Housing setbacks vs. the drawn 23’ line
Middle Housing standards require the front setback to be within 5’ of the average setback of the blockface. Staff calculates that average at 31.5’, so the drawn 23’ setback will likely need to increase. Homeowners should underwrite the final setback, not the preliminary dimension on the first sheet.
Alley parking and services are marked appropriate in the staff comments. That still matters for buyers who assume front-yard parking will appear later — the packet points parking to the rear pad.
Disclosure language that matches 9-D-26-IH
Cite the file number, address, and overlay: Certificate 9-D-26-IH, 3103 Galbraith St., Lonsdale Infill Housing Overlay, new duplex COA on the Sept. 16, 2026 Design Review Board agenda. If the Board approves with conditions, list the conditions you can verify from the stamped certificate.
Do not advertise a neighboring listing as if two-story duplexes are already the block’s settled character until the COA and any setback revisions are final.
Underwriting checklist before you price the house
Print the agenda page that names your case. Circle the tax map or parcel ID. Circle the staff recommendation line. Circle any conditions, deferrals, or withdrawal tags. Bring that marked page to your listing consult so the conversation stays tied to the primary text instead of a secondhand summary.
Ask staff whether revised plans were filed after the agenda published. Ask whether companion parcels were added. Ask how any granted relief or conditions will appear on a recorded plat or ordinance. Those three questions prevent most closing-week surprises when a neighbor’s file is still moving through a board.
If you are the seller two doors down, update your disclosure after the vote posts — not after a social post. If you are under contract, map the case number into any zoning or inspection contingency you already negotiated so both sides know what calendar event matters.
What’s happening in Knoxville this week
- Design Review Board — Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, 4:00 p.m.: 9-D-26-IH Galbraith duplex; companion Galbraith and New York Avenue infill cases on the same agenda.
- Historic Zoning — Moses Armstrong house relocation file remains a separate Sept. 17 track for buyers who confuse HZC with DRB.
- Knox County Commission — Sept. 21 rezoning calendar still carries Emory Road and Crippen Road PR items covered in earlier posts.
- Confirm the stamped COA conditions before you update Lonsdale MLS remarks.
What sellers should do next
If your Knoxville home sits on Galbraith Street or the Lonsdale overlay edge, treat 9-D-26-IH as a scale-and-setback diligence item. Know whether the Board kept the 23’ setback or pushed it toward the 31.5’ blockface average.
Combine that COA night with a current price opinion. Two-story duplexes change how buyers read one-story bungalow comps overnight. Need a clear number? Start with a free home valuation or ask about a cash offer.
Source links
- Knox Planning — Infill Housing staff report 9-D-26-IH (3103 Galbraith St.)
- Knoxville Design Review Board agenda — Sept. 16, 2026
- Free home valuation — Kings of Real Estate
- Cash offer — Kings of Real Estate
More from Kings of Real Estate
Related local news:
- Knox Planning Approves Sylvan St RN-2; Council Set for Oct. 13
- Knox HZC Sets Sept. 17 on Moses Armstrong House Relocation
- Knoxville OKs PILOT Talks for 335 Magnolia Apartments
- Knox County Posts Sept. 21 Vote on Crippen Road PR up to 3 du/ac
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Homeowners who need to sell before they buy should treat local government calendars as part of the underwriting file. Bring the exact case number, tax map, or agenda item to staff, then decide whether list price, inspection length, or possession date needs to move. A free home valuation and a cash-offer conversation are tools for that decision — not substitutes for reading the primary packet yourself.
Buyers should put utility, zoning, and transportation contingencies in writing when a live file sits next door. Sellers should disclose what is known, attach the agenda link, and avoid predicting a vote that has not been recorded. That discipline keeps East Tennessee closings on schedule when Council or Board calendars slip a week.
When a packet lists a recommendation rather than a final ordinance, keep your MLS remarks factual: cite the case number, the meeting date, and what staff actually wrote. Do not promise a buyer a completion date that depends on a board that has not yet voted. If your next purchase cannot wait, ask about a cash offer or start with a free home valuation so pricing reflects calendar risk instead of wishful timing.