The Issue

Residents of Sterling Springs and surrounding neighborhoods along Claude Simmons Road and Knob Creek Road are deeply concerned about the proposed Sell Farm subdivision moving forward without a comprehensive traffic study and understanding of broader community impact.

Our community has recently experienced serious safety incidents, including attempted home intrusions, car break-ins, and situations requiring urgent emergency medical response. These experiences underscore how critical timely access for first responders is. Neighbors have already witnessed emergency response vehicles delayed by 5 to 10 minutes trying to navigate traffic at the one-lane railroad tunnel. Increased traffic congestion from a large-scale development (close to 100 new homes just in phase one, located directly at the tunnel) threatens to delay emergency services immensely when seconds matter.

Beyond emergency response, current infrastructure is already strained. Additional development without a clear understanding of traffic impact (as well as impacts on schools and other community resources) would significantly and negatively affect daily life, including commuting, school transportation, and overall accessibility. These are not minor inconveniences. They directly affect safety, quality of life, and the viability of our community.

Importantly, planned infrastructure improvements, including the Knob Creek overpass and road widening, have not yet been completed. Moving forward with new development before these projects are in place introduces avoidable risk.

What We Are Requesting

We respectfully call on local officials and planning bodies to pause approval of the Sell Farm subdivision plans until:

 • A comprehensive, independent traffic study is completed

 • The study evaluates both current conditions and projected increases in traffic

 • Clear mitigation strategies are identified, communicated to the community, and completed

Growth should be responsible and data-driven. Approving this development without fully understanding and addressing its impact puts residents at unnecessary risk.

Call to Action

We urge community members to support this petition and ask local leaders to prioritize safety, infrastructure readiness, and quality of life before approving this proposed project.