Nudist colony called health threat

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2001 | 9:49 a.m.

Clark County health officials are trying to shut down an unlicensed nudist colony uncovered in rural Sandy Valley that they say poses a risk to public safety.

A District Court judge granted a temporary restraining order Monday, blocking Nevada Sun Rancho, formerly the Las Vegas Sun Club, from doing business until a formal hearing is held Nov. 6, Clark County Health District spokeswoman Jennifer Sizemore said. Gloria Massey, who founded the club in 1979 along with her late husband, declined to comment Tuesday on the health department's allegations. Massey moved to the Sandy Valley site in 1995. Since then she has added public facilities without first getting county approval, according to court documents.

The state allows nudist colonies to operate if the proper sanitation permits are obtained, Stephen Minagil, attorney for the Health District, said. No permits have been issued by Clark County for nudist colonies, he said.

Minagil said it's not the nudist element of the club that concerns the Health District, but that the club's kitchen hasn't passed the necessary inspections and lacks basic sanitation requirements and an insufficient sewage system and poorly maintained swimming pool pose risks to the public's health and safety.

Enthusiasts from other states visit throughout the year, with the club functioning as an unlicensed motel, Minagil said. The remote location doesn't exempt the club from following the rules, he said.

"The Health District's mandate doesn't distinguish between Sandy Valley or Mesquite or Las Vegas," Minagil said. "Our stance would be the same if this place was at Flamingo and Decatur."

And as far as the county is concerned, Massey has "zero approval" to operate as a nudist colony, Rita Mincavage, spokeswoman for the Clark County Building Department, said. Massey converted her Sandy Valley residence into the nudist club without the required permits, design reviews or inspections by the county, Mincavage said.

Over the past two years Massey has repeatedly missed deadlines for filing plans with the county and has yet to provide the Planning Commission sufficient documentation to review her request for a residential variance, Mincavage said.

Massey's case has been put on hold pending her appeal Nov. 21 to the Clark County Commission, Mincavage said.

Nevada Sun Rancho is set on 7.5 acres in Sandy Valley, about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The club has about 150 members, four guest cabins, campgrounds and parking for recreational vehicles.

The property's website, linked to the American Association for Nude Recreation, promises "a Friendly Place in the Sun." The club's rates range from $25 for a night's stay in one of the guest cabins to a year's family membership for $208.50. Tent camping is offered for $5, and recreational vehicle hookups are $12.

Inspectors from the Health District visited Nevada Sun Rancho and found numerous violations to the county's health and safety codes, according to court filings. The alleged violations include:

Dan Gonzalez, a real estate agent specializing in rural parcels including the Sandy Valley area, said the club's reputation is well-known to locals.

"It's not a secret," Gonzalez said Monday. "Those who want to visit do, those who don't, don't."