Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge Gives Final Approval to Limit Data Centers and Vape-Hemp Shops to the M-1 District

Pigeon Forge City Commission on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, approved on final reading a zoning change that allows data centers and recreational substance sales only in the M-1 district, the city’s small industrial area on Ridge Road near the county landfill, with a 55-decibel sound limit at data-center p

Tracy King

14 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Pigeon Forge’s Oct. 12, 2026, final vote limits data centers to the M-1 district on Ridge Road. Illustrative photo.

Pigeon Forge City Commission on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, took the final vote on a zoning change that allows data centers and “recreational substance sales” only in the city’s M-1 district. The Mountain Press reported that the only part of Pigeon Forge with that zoning is on Ridge Road, in the area of the county landfill. The commission passed the measure with little discussion.

The new rules also cap data-center noise. Sound must not exceed 55 decibels at the property line of a data center, according to The Mountain Press.

For Smokies homeowners, the practical effect is narrow and clear. Server farms and vape, nicotine or THC/hemp-heavy stores now have one small, defined place they can ask to go inside city limits. Everywhere else, the use is not on the menu.

What the ordinance does

The change has two parts, according to the city’s public hearing notices dated Sept. 22, 2026. The first adds two subsections to Section 707 of the zoning ordinance, 707.8 for data centers and 707.9 for recreational substance sales, and lists both as permitted uses in the M-1 Industrial District. The second adds definitions for both uses to Article III.

The notice defines a data center as a facility “that houses computer systems, servers, data storage devices, and networking infrastructure” used to store, process and distribute digital information for cloud computing, web hosting, streaming apps and artificial intelligence workloads.

Recreational substance sales means a commercial establishment where 15% or more of total sales or display area is dedicated to tobacco, nicotine, vape, or THC/hemp products. The Mountain Press used the same 15% test in its Oct. 13 report.

M-1: one district, two names

The city’s notice calls M-1 the “M-1 Industrial District.” The Mountain Press describes M-1 as “the city’s manufacturing zone” and its “small manufacturing district.” The district is the same. Only the label differs between the two sources.

Pigeon Forge data-center and substance-sales rules at a glance

Item	Detail	Source
First reading	Sept. 14, 2026, 3-0 (Ogle, Watts, Adam; McClure and Whaley absent)	The Mountain Press, Sept. 15
Public hearing notice	Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, 5:30 p.m., Council Room, Pigeon Forge City Hall	City notice, Sept. 22
Final reading	Approved Monday, Oct. 12, 2026	The Mountain Press, Oct. 13
Where allowed	M-1 only; Ridge Road, near the county landfill	The Mountain Press, Oct. 13
Ordinance sections	707.8 Data Centers; 707.9 Recreational Substance Sales; Article III definitions 311(a) and 328(a)	City notices
Noise limit	55 decibels at the data-center property line	The Mountain Press, Oct. 13
Substance-sales test	15% or more of total sales or display area in tobacco, nicotine, vape or THC/hemp products	City notice; The Mountain Press

Why the city used zoning instead of a ban

When the commission approved the measure on first reading in September, City Manager David Wear said the goal was to control where the facilities can be placed. The Mountain Press noted that cities cannot use zoning laws to ban a use entirely, but can control where it can locate.

Wear also put the land question plainly: “There’s not a lot of land out there, but Pigeon Forge doesn’t have a lot of vacant land for data centers anyway.”

The September vote was 3-0. Commissioners Jay Ogle, Tony Watts and Dennis Adam voted yes. Mayor Kevin McClure and Commissioner Keith Whaley were absent. Our earlier report, Pigeon Forge Limits Data Centers to Industrial Zones on First Reading, covered that first step.

The 55-decibel line

The Mountain Press compared 55 decibels to the sound of a coffee maker brewing coffee. The paper also noted that data centers have become controversial as developers nationwide look to build more, while utilities report high energy use and neighbors complain about noise.

A property-line sound standard gives neighbors a number to point to. It also gives a future applicant a clear target before buying land on Ridge Road.

How this fits the rest of the region

Pigeon Forge is not the only East Tennessee city drawing lines around data centers this year. In its September report, The Mountain Press noted that Sevierville earlier imposed an 18-month moratorium on data centers while officials reviewed noise, environmental and power issues. For that thread, read Sevierville Data Center Moratorium Advances as Home Prices Hold. Knox County took its own approach, covered in Knox Planning Commission Recommends a Data Center Freeze Through June 2027.

The recreational-substance piece also has a regional parallel. Bristol, Tennessee, adopted shop zoning of its own, covered in Bristol TN Approves Recreational-Substance Shop Zoning.

The difference matters when a buyer asks about “data centers in the Smokies.” Pigeon Forge now has a permanent location rule. Sevierville chose a time-limited pause. Those are different tools with different timelines.

What it means for Pigeon Forge homeowners and sellers

Most Pigeon Forge homes, cabins and rental properties sit far from Ridge Road. For them, this vote removes a question rather than adding one. A data center or a vape-and-hemp-heavy store cannot land next to a residential street or along the tourist corridor unless the land is zoned M-1.

Owners closer to Ridge Road have a narrower set of facts to share. The district is small, it already sits near the county landfill, and any data center there must meet the 55-decibel property-line cap.

If a buyer’s agent raises the topic, the cleanest answer is the zoning map and the ordinance text. The city’s hearing notices said a complete copy of the proposed amendment could be picked up at the Public Works Department in City Hall during normal business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Ask for the final version so you are quoting what passed.

Here is how to use the vote if you are selling this fall:

Answer buyer questions with the rule, not a rumor. The two uses are limited to M-1. No specific data-center project was named in the Oct. 13 report.
Keep the dates straight. First reading was Sept. 14, and final reading was Oct. 12, 2026.
Separate retail from rentals. The 15% substance-sales test is a commercial use standard. It is not a rule about cabins or short-term rental occupancy.
Price to today’s comps. A narrow use rule on a small industrial pocket is not a reason to change your list price.

Upcoming Pigeon Forge meetings

Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, 9:00 a.m. — Planning Commission work session, Council Chambers, City Hall.
Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, 5:30 p.m. — City Council regular meeting, Council Chambers, City Hall.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, 3:00 p.m. — Planning Commission, Council Chambers, City Hall.

Thinking about selling a Pigeon Forge home or cabin? Start with a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a firm number on your own schedule.

What did Pigeon Forge approve on Oct. 12, 2026?

The City Commission approved on final reading a zoning change that allows data centers and recreational substance sales only in the M-1 district, according to The Mountain Press.

Where is the M-1 district in Pigeon Forge?

The Mountain Press reported that the only part of the city with M-1 zoning is on Ridge Road, in the area of the county landfill.

What noise limit applies to data centers?

Sound must not exceed 55 decibels at the property line of a data center, The Mountain Press reported.

What counts as recreational substance sales?

A commercial establishment where 15% or more of total sales or display area is dedicated to tobacco, nicotine, vape, or THC/hemp products, according to the city’s public hearing notice.

How did the first-reading vote go?

On Sept. 14, 2026, commissioners voted 3-0, with Jay Ogle, Tony Watts and Dennis Adam in favor and Mayor Kevin McClure and Commissioner Keith Whaley absent, The Mountain Press reported.