The owners of a 4,680-square-foot home in Arlington, Texas, have been ordered to cease-and-desist holding swingers club parties in the residence. According to NBCDFW and the Arlington Star-Telegram, the owners say they are not embarrassed and will continue to have “like-minded friends” in their home, advertised in their website as “Eutopia.” They will fight the City’s efforts to stop their weekend parties.
David Esopenko told the Arlington Star-Telegram that although he leases the house for private parties, Eutopia is not a sexually oriented business. He said “We’re not the Cherry Pit.” The Cherry Pit was a sex club that was located in a residential neighborhood in Duncanville, Texas. Eutopia is located in a half-million-dollar home in the 2400 block of North Cooper Street.
The neighbors in the upscale neighborhood have been complaining about the parties in the home. WFAA8 reported that a man in Weatherford said there have been about 60 exotic parties since it opened in May 2014.
Esopenko denied that it was a swingers club because he does not charge; however, the suggested donation is $80 per couple, $20 for single women, and $80 for single men. The yard of the home was paved to accommodate 70 vehicles and up to 200 guests have attended. Despite this, the owner still claims he is not running a business in the home.
Jon Vecchio, a neighbor, said he was “shocked” and he “couldn’t believe it was going on. We don’t want it in our neighborhood.”
City of Arlington city officials sent owners James and Mary Self of Azle, and renters David and Shannon Esopenko of Weathorford, the notice. The letter said they were violating a city ordinance by running a business in the home because money is exchanged. Esopenko told the media they plan to continue hosting parties despite being ordered to cease-and-desist.
James Self told the Star-Telegram that he has not received a letter and he rents the house to the Esopenkos. Self said Esopenko pays his rent and he anticipates that Esopenko, who is his friend, will eventually buy the home from him. Self said he has been to one of the parties and Esopenko is “very, very strict on everything. It was a well-run, very classy adult party.”
Esopenko said weekend parties can include from 4 to 40 couples but anyone who attends must be on an approved invitation list. He told the Star-Telegram that guests are offered colored wrist bands to indicate their specific sexual interests. He said “it doesn’t mean people show up and get nude and get in a pile together.”
City officials say it is not the morality issue, but a land-use issue. Arlington’s ordinance requires that a home-based business must only be “incidental or secondary” to its residential purpose. The business use must not exceed more that 25 percent of the square footage.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.
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