Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has drawn a line around where data centers and vape and THC shops can open. The city commission gave final approval this month to a zoning change that allows both only in the city's M-1 industrial district, The Mountain Press reported.
The measure passed on final reading with little discussion.
Where the M-1 district is
Pigeon Forge's only M-1 land is a small area along Ridge Road, near the county landfill.
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"There's not a lot of land out there, but Pigeon Forge doesn't have a lot of vacant land for data centers anyway," City Manager David Wear said.
Two ordinances
The change came in two parts. Both were introduced at the commission's September meeting, according to the city's meeting agenda and minutes:
- Ordinance No. 2026-1203 amends the definitions section of the Pigeon Forge zoning ordinance to define "data centers" and "recreational substance sales."
- Ordinance No. 2026-1202 amends the M-1 Industrial District section to add those uses to the list of what the district permits.
On first reading, the commission voted 3-0, with Jay Ogle, Tony Watts and Dennis Adams voting in favor (the paper spelled the last name Adam; the city's minutes say Adams), The Mountain Press reported in September.
What counts as a vape or THC shop
The ordinance calls the category "recreational substance sales." It covers stores where 15% or more of the total sales or display area are devoted to tobacco, nicotine, vape, or THC/hemp products.
The articles don't say how the rules treat shops already open in other zones.
A noise limit for data centers
Data centers drew scrutiny this year over noise, environmental effects on neighbors and heavy electricity use. Pigeon Forge's rules include a limit: sound must not exceed 55 decibels at the property line of a data center.
Neighbors are acting too
Pigeon Forge isn't alone in Sevier County. Sevierville earlier this year put an 18-month moratorium on data centers while officials studied the issue. Across the Smokies foothills, Blount County commissioners are weighing a one-year data center moratorium of their own.
Sources
- Pigeon Forge limits data centers to M-1 district, The Mountain Press
- Pigeon Forge moves to limit data centers to industrial zones, The Mountain Press
- Public Hearing & City Commission Meeting, Sept. 14, 2026: agenda and minutes, City of Pigeon Forge
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