The swingers club - Wicked Fun - has been officially closed due to zoning violations. A primary issue was that the club stood several dozen feet away from a church.
PLYMOUTH, Connecticut — The town of Plymouth has reaffirmed its decision to shut down a swingers club located in the Terryville neighborhood next to the Riverside Baptist Church, citing zoning violations related to adult-use businesses.
During a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Tuesday, residents, church members and representatives of Wicked Fun - the swingers club on Main Street - spoke publicly about the controversial establishment.
“Just leave everybody alone, we don’t want you here,” said Rev. David Townsley, of the Riverside Baptist Church, which shares a parking lot with the club.
Wicked Fun was issued a cease-and-desist order in March for violating zoning laws. Owners appealed the order, but the town voted to uphold it. They noted that adult-use businesses must be located at least 1,000 feet from any church.
Local resident Andrew Defilio expressed his mixed views on the issue.
“It’s obviously not my cup of tea, but for anybody that wants to do something like that, I’m all for it. Everybody has a right to do what they want to… I think at this point, they’re just looking for a reason to shut people like that down,” Defilio said.
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Others in the town like Acelynn Dionne and Amy Daley supported the decision to close the club, arguing it didn’t align with the community's values.
“For a lot of adults [to be] going around doing that is like, really weird. It’s definitely not for this town,” Dionne said.
Her friend Amy Daley added, “Especially next to a church, I don’t think that that’s the best spot.”
Townsley also raised concerns about regulatory oversight of adult-oriented businesses.
“There’s no state license requirement for adult oriented clubs or adult oriented businesses. And, that’s quite strange when you think that every kind of service provider, restaurant, pretty much anyone that has a business or skill has to have a license,” Townsley said.
Townsley hopes to see changes in state law to provide greater oversight for establishments like Wicked Fun.
The club’s owner has expressed intentions to sue the town over its decision. Many in the community however said they are glad the club is closing.
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Joe Monte is a Multi-Skilled Journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at [email protected].
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