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Floyd County delays Knob Landing rezoning after residents raise traffic and school concerns
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment citing traffic, school overcrowding and neighborhood character concerns, Floyd County commissioners voted unanimously to take two Knob Landing rezoning ordinances under advisement and revisit them at the April meeting.
Floyd County commissioners on March 18 took two zoning measures for the proposed Knob Landing development under advisement and said they will revisit them at the first meeting in April after an extended public comment period. The ordinances — FCO 2025-08 (General Commercial to Multi‑Family Residential) and FCO 2025-09 (Multi‑Family to Planned Unit Development — Multi‑Family) — were introduced with a Planning Commission record of 'no' recommendations; the commission told the board it had 90 days to accept or reject the proposals.
John Kraft, attorney for the applicant, described the Planned Unit Development as a mixed‑use project reduced from an initial proposal of 146 apartments to 125 multifamily units alongside commercial uses. "By right the current zoning could be a big box store or a number of commercial developments," Kraft said, arguing the PUD constrains uses and may produce less traffic than some commercial alternatives. Dozens of residents disputed that assessment: Morgan Beatty said local schools already exceed the state's recommended student–teacher ratio and noted a petition with more than 1,900 signatures opposing the residential portion. "The schools are already overcrowded," Beatty said.
Opponents raised multiple concerns, including the adequacy of the traffic study, neighborhood transition and property values. Taylor Phelps said a prior review gave the traffic study an 'F' rating; Ashley Jones said advertised rents would exceed local median incomes and questioned housing affordability. Jason Copperwaite, an applicant representative, responded that the Arbor Homes development was accounted for in the traffic analysis and that modeled post‑development runoff would be reduced compared with pre‑development conditions. President Al Knable said his own estimate was that the 125‑unit project could add about 30–35 students to the school system.
Commissioner Frank Loop moved and Jason Sharp seconded a motion to take both zoning items under advisement; both motions passed unanimously.
