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Community Corner

City Retreat Park and the First Nudist Boy, Girl Scouts

Now called Gulf Coast Nudist Resort, the development was the home of the original naturist Scouts in the 1970s.

Joe and Laura Swainston always wanted a naturist place of their own. In 1968, the dream became a reality when the couple purchased 40 acres and subdivided the unrecorded plat into 182 building lots in rural Hudson.

The Swainstons also set aside seven acres of the land for a new private business called City Retreat Naturist Park. 

The entire subdivision was owned by City Retreat Inc., which allowed nudists to enjoy the comfort of buying and owning a home in a naturist subdivision.

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By 1971,  the seven acres of naturist park expanded to 10 acres, and 39 of the building lots had been sold.  A few lots were exchanged for the construction of a new pool.

Bob and Louise Van Ness became managers of the resort in 1973.  In 1977, the first nudist Boy Scout Troop and Girl Scout Troop were formed at the park. Boy Scout Troop 66 had eight members; Girl Scout Troop 746 included six girls. According to a story in The Evening News dated Aug. 4, 1977, members of the troop were clothed for scouting activities and meetings.

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In August 1980,  Cap and Edna Keppel became managers and the resort's name was changed to Navajo Lodge. The name was changed back to City Retreat in April of 1981 and management changed again in July 1982 to Ray and Susan (last names unknown). 

In 1983, a co-op was formed with shares in City Retreat. Ron Bukowski became manager in 1987, but eventually authorities accused Bukowski of taking more than $100,000 from the resort by ordering equipment and taking the money but not ever getting the actual equipment.

Ann and Ed Kirk bought the original mortgage from Laura Swainston's estate in May 1993, establishing Ichi Property Management and taking ownership of the remaining unsold lots in the original plat from 1968.

The Kirks changed the name of the 10-acre amenities area to Gulf Coast Nudist Resort, which includes tennis, shuffleboard, tiki hut, petanque, rec hall, pool, hot tub, showers and rental units. When Ann Kirk died, daughter Susan Cowan became the manager of Gulf Coast.

Cowen took out a half-million dollar note from her father's business, which was foreclosed on by her stepmother, KC Kirk, who became the owner in April 2012.

You can find Gulf Coast Nudist Resort's new website at www.gulfcoastnudistresort.com.

You can find all of Pasco County's naturist activities at www.NaturistCapitalUSA.org.

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