City of Canton holds public hearing on proposed annexation and 200-home development along Knox Bridge Highway

City of Canton planning staff and an applicant presented a request Feb. 6 to annex and rezone about 58 acres along Knox Bridge (Highway 20) and to approve a master plan calling for 200 single‑family homes. The council opened a public hearing and took public comment; council did not take final action and the item is set for an action meeting on Feb. 20.

The applicant’s representative, Vincent Chambers, told the council the overall annexation request covers 58.29 acres with 40.69 acres on the south side of Knox Bridge Highway and 17.6 acres on the north side, and that the site plan shows 200 total homes (142 on the south side and 58 on the north). Lot widths as presented vary from 40-by-100 to 50-by-100 feet with a 4,000-square-foot minimum lot size, and the applicant said roughly 43% of the north parcel and 39% of the south parcel would remain as green space. Chambers also said the property has been reduced over decades by right-of-way takings and other sales and that a residential outcome is likely if the city does not annex the land.

Nearby residents used the allotted public‑hearing time to press the council on multiple concerns. Patrick Chandler, whose property borders the development, said a 50‑foot buffer promised at a neighborhood meeting is insufficient and questioned how the buffer would be enforced. Tim Kinder, representing another nearby homeowner, urged the council to delay annexation pending more study of traffic, school capacity, sewer connections and public‑safety impacts. Denise Coola and other speakers said they received inconsistent information at developer input meetings and that no traffic study had been submitted. Jessica Feal, whose property backs up to the south parcel, asked for a larger buffer, a hydrological study of the proposed detention pond and assurance of long‑term maintenance.

Planning staff acknowledged there is no traffic impact study in the file. Mr. Green (planning staff) confirmed the proposal has not yet included a traffic study and said the applicant did not provide a reason the parcels seek annexation and increased density. Council members asked staff to obtain outstanding answers from the applicant and to provide those answers to residents; staff said the item will return for action on Feb. 20.

Council members and staff also discussed the timeline for Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) roadway improvements along Highway 20. A staff member referenced GDOT’s preconstruction status report and said construction is scheduled to start in 2029 on the Bartow side, with Canton-area phases likely later; no firm start date for Canton improvements was available. Several residents said they were concerned the development would add thousands of vehicle trips to a corridor they described as already congested and potentially unsafe for left turns.

The council did not vote at the hearing. Staff said it will ask the applicant to provide written answers to neighborhood questions and will return the item to the Feb. 20 meeting for possible action.

Why it matters: The proposal would change the city’s service and growth boundary and add new households that could affect traffic, school enrollment, sewer and stormwater systems. Residents asked the council to require a traffic study, detailed stormwater analysis and clearer commitments on buffers and sewer connections prior to approval.