Zoning in Cheatham County, Tennessee: The 2025-2026 Rural Resort and Data Center Fights

The 'Rural Resort' fight: a proposed luxury development near the Narrows of the Harpeth

In late 2025 and early 2026, Cheatham County commissioners considered a zoning-resolution amendment that would have created a new "Rural Resort" category: a mixed-use development classification requiring a minimum of 375 acres located adjacent to a Tennessee state park or wildlife management area, and permitting a combination of homes, restaurants, spas, and other resort-style commercial uses on land that would otherwise be zoned for agriculture. Reporting tied the proposal specifically to the Bell's Reserve property near the Narrows of the Harpeth -- a well-known bend in the Harpeth River adjacent to Harpeth River State Park -- with C.B. Ragland Company CEO Michael Hayes identified as the party behind the proposed luxury resort project.

Opposition built quickly and substantially. A petition against the zoning change gathered more than 1,100 signatures early on and eventually grew to more than 3,000. At a March 5, 2026 Cheatham County Planning Commission meeting, 46 residents spoke during public comment on the proposal, with 34 of them voicing opposition -- citing concerns about increased traffic, noise, and flooding risk along the Harpeth. Opponents also raised a legal objection: that carving out a single large parcel for resort-commercial use inside an otherwise rural, agriculturally zoned area amounted to unlawful spot zoning under Tennessee law.

The dispute reached a resolution, at least for now: the Cheatham County Regional Planning Commission voted on April 2, 2026 to discontinue further discussion of the Rural Resort amendment, and the Cheatham County Commission followed on April 20, 2026 by passing a resolution declining to change the county's zoning to allow commercial resort-style development in rural areas. For a buyer evaluating land near the Narrows of the Harpeth or any other large tract adjacent to a state park or wildlife management area in Cheatham County, the practical takeaway is that this specific "Rural Resort" pathway is closed as of this review -- but the underlying development pressure and interest that produced the proposal in the first place hasn't disappeared, and a similar or revised proposal could resurface. Confirm current zoning-resolution text directly with the county's Planning Commission before assuming the door is permanently shut.

Data centers: restricted to industrial zones since early 2026

Separately from the Rural Resort fight, Cheatham County moved in late 2025 and early 2026 to specifically address data centers in its zoning resolution -- a use its existing code, like most Tennessee counties' zoning text, had never contemplated. The Cheatham County Planning Commission voted unanimously on December 4, 2025 to add data centers to the zoning resolution's list of "extensive impact facilities," a category subject to additional siting scrutiny. The County Commission followed with its own unanimous approval on February 2, 2026, formally amending the zoning resolution so that a data center may be built or operated only on land zoned I2 or I3 (industrial) -- not in any residential, agricultural, or general commercial district.

Attorney Bill Herbert and Tracy O'Neill, a leader of the local advocacy group Preserve Cheatham County, both urged the commission to pass the amendment at a January 20, 2026 workshop, framing it as a way to keep any future data-center proposal confined to areas already zoned for heavy industrial use rather than allowing one to locate near homes or farmland. As of this review, no specific data-center project has been publicly proposed for Cheatham County -- this is a preemptive zoning change rather than a response to a named pending project, unlike the situation in neighboring Bradley County. If a data center is proposed here later, the I2/I3-only restriction adopted in February 2026 is the rule it will have to satisfy.

What this means for land near the Narrows of the Harpeth or an industrial-zoned tract

• A large tract (375+ acres) adjacent to Harpeth River State Park or another state park/wildlife management area in Cheatham County is not currently eligible for "Rural Resort" mixed-use zoning -- that specific amendment was voted down in April 2026 -- but confirm current zoning-resolution text directly, since a revised proposal could be reintroduced.
• A parcel not zoned I2 or I3 (industrial) cannot host a data center under the county's February 2026 zoning amendment, regardless of size or location -- relevant if you're evaluating land specifically for that use or specifically to avoid a data center as a neighbor.
• Both changes reflect real, organized local political engagement (a 3,000+ signature petition on one side, a named advocacy group on the other) -- a sign that any future large-scale rezoning proposal in the county is likely to draw substantial public scrutiny.
• Confirm the current zoning district and any amendment since these 2026 actions directly with the Cheatham County Building Commission / Planning Commission before finalizing a purchase near either the Harpeth River or an industrial-zoned tract.