Changes to Agricultural Zoning in Knox County: What in Sam Hill is actually going on?

Knox County's Agricultural Zoning Proposal: What's Actually Happening

Written by Christina Kobel, The Knox Realtor

You may have heard rumors that your agriculturally zoned property is automatically being rezoned to dense residential. Here's the deal: as of August 2026, Knox County has paused this proposed agricultural zoning overhaul pending the administration turnover. That means no changes are in effect yet, and no timeline has been set for when this will be reviewed.

The county's incoming administration will review the plan, which would have replaced the single Agricultural zoning designation with three new districts, Rural Residential, Rural Preservation, and Agricultural Rural.

If you own agricultural land in Knox County, or you're a California transplant eyeing a rural property, here's what was actually proposed, why it got paused, and what to watch for next.

What is Advance Knox, and why is zoning changing at all?

Advance Knox is the county's 20-year growth and development plan. The Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) is the third and final phase of Advance Knox, and is essentially a rewrite of how land across the county gets zoned and developed. One of the most closely watched pieces of that rewrite deals with agricultural land specifically.

Right now, Knox County uses a single zoning designation – Agricultural (A) – across most of its rural areas, covering everything from active working farms to small residential tracts (think a large property parceled out to build homes for family members or sold to build a small neighborhood). County officials note that a large number of properties currently zoned Agricultural are actually quite small, with more than 27,000 being five acres or less, and nearly 10,000 under a single acre.

Applying the Agricultural zoning label as a one-size-fits-all to such a wide range of property sizes and usages limits how well regulations can flex on either end of the spectrum. A rule loose enough to make sense for a small residential parcel is too loose for a working farm that wants protection from encroaching development. A rule tight enough to protect a working farm is arguably overkill for a half-acre lot that was never functioning as agricultural land in the first place.

What did the proposed change actually involve?

The draft proposal would have replaced the single Agricultural zone with three new, more specific districts:

Rural Residential — the new default classification for most agricultural land under the proposal. Does this mean that if you're currently Agriculture you'll automatically be RR? According to the suggested changes, yes. Under today's current Agricultural zone, residential development generally requires a one-acre minimum lot. Under the proposed Rural Residential zone, qualifying properties of five acres or more with sewer access could allow up to two dwelling units per acre, meaningfully more density than today's rules allow.

Rural (or Agricultural) Preservation — an opt-in classification requiring a 2.5-acre minimum lot, more restrictive than the RR. Its stated purpose is protecting agricultural and natural areas; some sourcing suggests it may also allow limited residential and recreational use.

Agricultural Rural — an opt-in classification requiring a 5-acre minimum lot, the most restrictive of the three, with usage limited to actual agricultural production (like farming, grazing, and harvesting timber). It also explicitly prevents developing smaller lots on a larger parcel.

The idea is that property owners who want to keep their land at lower density than the new Rural Residential default can request one of the two more restrictive classifications before the changes take effect (keep reading for more information on this).

Why was this paused?

The second draft of the proposed zoning map drew significant public feedback, much of it from farmers and rural landowners concerned about what more residential development near their property could mean. Some property owners also said they hadn't been notified the process was underway at all.

Bonnie Panettieri, who owns Pygmy Harbor Farm in East Knox County, put the concern plainly in a recent WVLT interview: new neighbors moving in around an active farm don't always understand why a farm operates the way it does, and that friction is real for the people running those operations day to day.

On the other side, the county's stated goal throughout the process has been to protect property rights while raising development standards countywide, part of a broader, decades-long push to manage how Knox County grows.

On August 14, Mayor Glenn Jacobs announced the county would pause work on the zoning changes, handing the project to Mayor-Elect Betsy Henderson and the incoming County Commission to review and decide on next steps. No timeline has been announced for when, or whether, the review process will resume.

What does this mean if you own agricultural land in Knox County right now?

Well, nothing has changed as of today. Your property's current zoning stays exactly as it is unless and until a revised proposal actually gets adopted, which would still require Planning Commission review and two readings before County Commission, a process that was already expected to take months even before the pause.

A few things worth knowing if you want to stay ahead of this:

The original opt-in deadline was removed. Property owners were initially asked to submit a form requesting the more restrictive Rural Preservation or Agricultural Rural designation by August 31, that deadline no longer applies now that the process is paused.

You can still submit feedback. The county has said it will continue accepting public comment even during the pause.

This is a "when it resumes" story, not an "if" story, most likely. Advance Knox is a 20-year plan the county has been actively working for years, a pause under new leadership isn't the same as the plan being scrapped.

Where I fit into this

I'm not a land use attorney, and if you own agricultural property and want to understand exactly how a future version of this proposal could affect your specific parcel, I'd highly suggest you have that conversation with one, or with the Knox County Planning office directly. What I can help with is the real estate side: understanding how zoning classification affects what you can do with a property, what to watch for if you're comparing rural parcels while house hunting, and flagging this kind of thing early so it's not a surprise later in a transaction.

If you're considering buying rural or agricultural land in Knox County and want a second set of eyes on what a property's current zoning actually allows, feel free to reach out through www.christinatheknoxrealtor.com.

Frequently asked questions

Has Knox County's agricultural zoning actually changed? No. As of August 2026, the proposed changes have been paused for review by the incoming county administration. Current agricultural zoning remains in effect.

What was the proposed change going to do? It would have replaced the single Agricultural zoning designation with three new districts, Rural Residential (the new default, allowing more density on qualifying properties), Rural Preservation, and Agricultural Rural (both opt-in, more restrictive).

Do I need to do anything with my property right now? Not urgently. The original opt-in form deadline was removed when the process was paused. It's still worth monitoring Knox County Planning's updates if you own agricultural land, since the review could resume without much advance notice.

Where can I get official updates on this? The Advance Knox website (advanceknox.org) is the county's official source for the UDO process, draft maps, and public meeting schedules.

Christina Kobel is a Realtor and Affiliate Broker with Knox Home Group in West Knoxville, TN, known as The Knox Realtor. She works with clients relocating from California and helps them understand not just a home, but the land and zoning that come with it. Learn more or get in touch at www.christinatheknoxrealtor.com.

This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance specific to your property, consult a licensed attorney or Knoxville-Knox County Planning directly.

Equal Housing Opportunity.