Latest news with #SteveGagne
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Wicked Fun, a swingers club next to Baptist church in Connecticut, ordered to close
Wicked Fun, a Connecticut swingers club near a Baptist church, has been ordered to close its doors following a heated meeting Tuesday night. The private club in Terryville, which offers members 'fun, excitement, and maybe even a little mischief,' recently received a cease-and-desist order over alleged zoning violations. Town officials say the members-only club falls under the adult-use business category and is therefore required to be at least 1,000 feet away from a church. The club shares both a property line and a parking lot with the Riverside Baptist Church. The order, issued on March 28, directed the club to shut down within 10 days. However, club owner Steve Gagne appealed the order, saying Wicked Fun should not be classified as an adult-use business. 'We have well-dressed people, professionals who come to our club, and they socialize and have a good time,' Gagne said, according to NBC Connecticut. It's just 'consenting adults having a good time doing nothing, nothing wrong.' On Tuesday, around 100 people showed up at the Plymouth Town Hall for a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. Members of the church and supporters of the club took turns speaking in the 'heated' session, which went on for hours, according to the local CBS affiliate WFSB. Gagne was hoping that a 'strong turnout from supporters who believe in fairness, free expression, and legal transparency' would help members of the board side with the club. Riverside Baptist Pastor David Townsley told WTNH the club has 'impacted the town negatively,' while parishioners called on the board to reject the challenge. 'I urge you to deny the appeal and send a message that this kind of lawlessness — and that's what it is — will not be tolerated in any Connecticut town,' one person said at the meeting. Club co-owner Jodi Gagne, Steve Gagne's wife, pushed back on that claim, arguing that the club doesn't feature 'topless dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or other entertainers for observation by patrons' and therefore should not be considered an adult-use business. 'At our club, we do not put on a show — there are no dancers, there are no strippers,' she said. At the end, the board unanimously voted to deny the appeal, and the club was immediately forced to close its doors. Gagne, however, hasn't given up the fight. He vowed to sue the town and said he plans to keep challenging the decision. _____
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Leafy Connecticut town torn apart after SWINGERS CLUB opens a few feet away from Baptist church
A Connecticut town has practically devolved into civil war after a swinger's club opened just feet away from a Baptist church. About 100 residents of Terryville, small town in the center of the state, attended a zoning board meeting on Tuesday night advocating for the shutdown of the 'Wicked Fun Club.' Many of them were members of the Riverside Baptist Church, which shares a property line and a parking lot with the club. Town officials say the club, which opened in November on the floor above a primary care clinic, has flouted zoning regulations that prevent 'adult-use' establishments from setting up shop within 1,000 feet of a church. On March 28, club owner Steve Gagne was hit with a cease and desist order from the town, which demanded he close the business. Gagne refused and appealed the letter on the grounds that the club isn't 'adult-use', leading to last night's tense meeting. 'We have well-dressed people, professionals who come to our club, and they socialize and have a good time,' Gagne said in an interview with NBC Connecticut. 'And this is just consenting adults having a good time and doing nothing, nothing wrong. Leave us alone and we'll be the good neighbors we've always been.' Church members weren't convinced and loudly voiced their opposition to the club during the meeting. Rev. David Townsley (left) of the the Riverside Baptist Church attended the zoning board meeting on Tuesday to strongly argue against allowing the Wicked Fun Club to continue operating. Club owner Steve Gagne (right) downplayed the activities done and argued he should be allowed to run his business 'Mr. Gagne decided to co-locate with the church. And while Joe Public may be fooled by half truth, shame on any of us here if we do the same after hearing the truth,' said Matt Marcel, a member of the church. Rev. David Townsley, the head of the church, has also been outspoken about his opposition to the swinger's club. 'They're glad that individuals and myself are taking a stand and trying to say, this doesn't seem like a great idea for the town,' Townsley said. The club's website is very clear about what goes on inside, telling its members to 'practice safe sex' and to accept rejection because it 'happens to everyone.' Also on the website, there are photos of multiple private rooms where club members can go with their partners. Among them is an orgy room, a sex swing room, and a 'gangbang' room. There is even a dress code that recommends women put on 'sexy club wear,' while men are required to don collared shirts and dress shoes. Ultimately, the Plymouth Zoning Board denied Gagne's appeal, a moment that elicited applause among most of the attendees. Gagne will have to shut down, but he plans to sue the town. His hope is that a judge will grant a stay and allow him to operate while the lawsuit gets underway. 'Vote against us and we will fight back, just like any citizen, business or group would when facing illegal retaliation and threats,' Gagne said during the meeting.
