Private Members-Only Swinger's Club Doing Battle With Town Due To Location Next To A Church
The drama surrounding a swinger's club in Plymouth, Connecticut has it all. It has an owner who compares his private members-only club to a book club or knitting club, it has an unhappy church as a neighbor, and a town firing off cease and desist letters.
There are also allegations of a friendship between the church pastor and the mayor being behind the attempts to shut down a good time between mostly couples between 40 and 60 years old who share a "love of sensual passion with a sprinkle of secrets."
Steve Gagne, the owner of Wicked Fun Club, was sent a cease and desist letter by the town of Plymouth on March 28. The town claims the club is violating local zoning regulations on "adult uses," stating that the club didn’t receive the required approval, reports The Bristol Press.
The swinger's club wouldn’t receive the required approval either, because adult uses aren’t permitted in a commercial zoning district or within 1,000 feet of a church. The club, which offers up "on-premises play," is neighbors with the Riverside Baptist Church.
Gagne took to the Terryville Talks Facebook page and shared "An Open Letter To Our Members & Community" detailing the cease and desist letter he was sent by the town and blaming it on Pastor David Townsley and his friendship with Plymouth Mayor Joe Kilduff.
The Plymouth Police conducted an investigation into the club and found no crimes being committed by the group. An officer told The Bristol Press, "It’s a private club with a bunch of consenting adults doing their thing."
This swinger's club isn’t going to close up shop without a fight
Case closed, just consenting adults hanging out the same as a book club, right? If that was the case, a cease and desist letter would have never been sent, but one was and Gagne believes the reason could be as a personal favor to get rid of the club for the mayor's pastor friend.
"This is deeply concerning," Gagne argued. "Using the weight of town authority to serve personal interests—particularly at the expense of a legally operating, private members-only club—undermines the principles of fairness, due process, and the trust residents place in their local government."
The pastor denies the claims by the swinger's club owner. He also denies claims that the church is planning to move in the near future. Gagne isn’t going down without a fight. He's going to appeal the order to the Zoning Board of Appeals at the end of the month.
He's willing to take this fight to the courts too, if need be. He's not asking for special treatment for the Wicked Fun Club, he just wants the town of Plymouth to follow the law is all.
"We’ve built something real at Wicked Fun Club - a space for consenting adults to connect in trust, privacy, and mutual respect," said Gagne. "And we won’t allow misinformation or personal vendettas to tear it down. We’re grateful to have you with us in this fight, and no matter what happens—we will endure."