Joe Teresi's neighbors think they live next to a pigsty, and he is determined to prove them right.
Joe Teresi had originally planned to expand his Malibu Mountains Racquet Club, but Los Angeles County planning commissioners revoked the club's operating permit in April after neighbors complained that the onetime tennis ranch had degenerated (?) into a rowdy biker hangout.
Neighbors noted that the land was zoned for light agriculture--for hogs with tails, not tailpipes. Now Teresi says he is giving them their wish.
Teresi is preparing to reopen the club July 3 with a new name: the Malibu Mountains Hog Ranch, in honor of the "attack pigs" he plans to raise there and of his members' fondness for riding large motorcycles known as "hogs."
Known throughout bikerdom as publisher of the adult custom motorcycle magazine Easyriders, he has appealed the Regional Planning Commission's revocation of his conditional-use permit, thereby staying the action until a September hearing. He plans to ask for a new permit to run a recreational facility for bikers--who, he notes, also play tennis--and may continue farming at the rural Malibu property along Latigo Canyon Road.
In addition to the "attack pigs" (actually they're tamed, tusked boars), Joe said he also intends to raise turkeys, chickens, rabbits and beefalo (a cross between buffalo and cattle). One of the tennis courts is being transformed into a chicken coop and he envisions one of the club's swimming pools as a trout pond.
The pigpen will be dubbed "Le Corral Gee Wulliger's," Teresi said, in honor of one of the county planning commissioners, Richard Wulliger. At the Regional Planning Commission meeting in April, Wulliger said he became convinced that the club was no longer a tennis ranch when he learned that its restaurant was named "Le Cafe Bubba."
"With all due respect," Wulliger said before voting to revoke the permit, "I don't know of any tennis players named Bubba."
At the April meeting, there were complainaints of loud engines and alleged crime and drug use from the club. Teresi denied that any criminal activities were ever traced to his club and said the noise problems had been corrected.
Now that it appears that Teresi is taking those sarcastic comments literally and the neighbors panties are getting all bunched-up.
One of the bitchy neighbors particular concern is Joe Teresi's offer of free beer at the opening celebration and a map used in advertising that shows the Rock Store, a nearby motorcycle hangout, as the only area landmark.
