MORGAN HILL
– The sex club scene that has been the subject of much interest
in the South Valley in the past year may be back.
The Ranch, promoted by Susan Nino, is about to resume operations
at 15750 Railroad Ave., just outside the Morgan Hill city
limits.
MORGAN HILL – The sex club scene that has been the subject of much interest in the South Valley in the past year may be back.
The Ranch, promoted by Susan Nino, is about to resume operations at 15750 Railroad Ave., just outside the Morgan Hill city limits.
The latest event attracting attention is an “Evite” flyer circulating under Nino’s name, extolling the virtues of a Spring Fling II for Easter weekend, both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Parties also are planned for the second Saturday of every month through the summer, plus a few on Friday nights, according to the flyer received by The Times this week.
Santa Clara County zoning investigator Jim Lanz said he hadn’t heard of the latest effort to reestablish a club. But he is familiar with the previous club called The Forum that was located at 16220 Hill Road at Barrett Avenue.
The Forum was operating in the Railroad Avenue house until the club’s weekend activities were reported widely in area newspapers in late summer 2002. The club was forced to move and wound up in Gilroy, where it operated in two locations for nearly six months. The Forum’s owner, Deena Luce, relocated her business to Gilroy, which brought the wrath of the Gilroy City Council and lawsuits down upon her head until she left town. She moved to Dryden Avenue in unincorporated Gilroy. After pressure from local media, residents and county officials, she left the Dryden location Feb. 28, 2003.
Lanz said he would follow up on the latest flyer, but that he does not, so far, have evidence of a violation.
“They would need a use permit and it is very difficult to get a use permit allowing a private social club in that location,” Lanz said. “However, if allegations of violations are taking place over zoning or health codes, we would need to confirm them ourselves.” He said he would welcome evidence or information from the public.
“I will follow it up,” Lanz said.
County Supervisor Don Gage backed up citizen complaints of The Forum after it was ousted from a Monterey Street site in Gilroy and moved to Dryden Avenue, outside city limits in the county – Gage’s jurisdiction.
He said he hadn’t heard about The Ranch either but said he would take action.
“If we have a complaint of illegal use of county land, Jim (Lanz) will go out and warn and cite them and ask them to leave.,” Gage said.
Of course, it is not so simple, Gage said, because the legal process must be worked through.
Gage’s land-use policy aide, Rachael Gibson said, in her opinion, there is probably no appropriate zoning application for a sex club, especially in an agricultural area.
“Adult uses are allowed in certain areas provided they have an (appropriate) use permit,” Gibson said. “The three allowable uses are an adult bookstore, adult movies and adult cabarets, but the swap club probably does not fit into the description of adult cabaret.”
The property is currently exclusive agriculture, with a 20-acre minimum.
Reading from the county zoning code, she said an adult cabaret would be in a building regularly used for the presentation of topless, bottomless performances for observation by patrons or customers. Nowhere, she said, does it mention taking part in sexual activities.
“If they can’t be there legally,” Gibson said, “they can’t be there at all.”
She said the county would investigate to verify any illegal activities.
If anyone has any information, contact County Zoning Investigator Jim Lanz at 299-5794.
