MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Residents of a southwest Muncie neighborhood thought the 110-year-old former school with purple doors had been vacant these past 14 months. So neighbors were surprised to find out the building—which was last used as a bingo hall—is home to one of Indiana's seven swingers clubs. "I thought it was empty, to tell you the truth," Mary Neal, who rents a house across from the club, told The Star Press. "That shocks me. I'm just floored. There are a lot of kids that walk around here."
Swinging involves having social and sexual intercourse with someone other than a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. It primarily involves couples.
Local religious leaders are vowing to shut down the 7,3000-square-foot Klub Layden, saying it could bring crime into the community. And neighbors and city officials are debating whether the residential area is the proper location for a private club.
Marta Moody, director of the city-county plan commission, said Klub Layden could violate zoning rules for adult entertainment, but officials aren't sure whether the facility is operating as an adult business or a private club.
City laws require adult businesses to be at least 500 feet from residential areas.
A woman who identified herself as a manager, but refused to give her name, told The Associated Press that the club and its members were discreet and had received no complaints from neighbors.
The club is open two days a week and has pool tables, a dance floor, a six-person hot tub, a multiple-person shower and "sensually designed theme rooms," according to its Web site.
Klub Layden is open Friday and Saturday nights, and advises its members to bring their own alcohol and contraception. The club provides sheets, bathrobes and locker rooms.
An annual membership costs $25 for couples and single men and $20 for single women.
Members must agree to not identify others or their experiences at the club, without permission.
