Atkinson officials have denied a permit for a new spa catering to adults who role-play as children wearing diapers, which was planned for the space above the three-car garage of a Pope Road residence.
Members of the Zoning Board of Adjustment voted Wednesday night to deny the permit application submitted by Dr. Colleen Murphy of 23 Pope Road for The Diaper Spa, described as a “physician-run diaper salon” aimed at “all diaper-wearing individuals who seek acceptance, respite, and care.”
The unanimous vote came near the end of a more-than-three-hour meeting in front of a standing-room- only crowd of more than 100 at Atkinson Town Hall. The Diaper Spa application dominated the discussion, though four other items were on the agenda.
Murphy submitted an application to town officials to operate a “special exception/home occupation, aka Diaper Spa” at the site.
According to a legal notice, the spa offers “mental health counseling.”
On Wednesday, Murphy told town officials and others in attendance the spa offers “a safe and nonjudgmental environment for individuals seeking comfort and solace.”
“The services are strictly platonic and operate exclusively on my own property, with visitors limited to one client at a time,” Murphy said. “I firmly believe the occupation would comply with the spirit and intent of the ordinances, offering a valuable service to individuals who seek a supportive and nurturing environment for relaxation, decompression and stress management related to past trauma or current challenges.”
On the spa’s website, Murphy invites interested customers to imagine a “safe and judgment-free session” where they can express themselves and “partake of your favorite activities, meals, snacks, and nurturing.”
The website states the safety and well-being of clients are “paramount” considerations at Diaper Spa, with all clients undergoing a “thorough vetting process,” including ID checks and screening through the National Sex Offender Registry.
Photos on the website showed a room decorated like a nursery, with toys, diapers and a crib that appeared large enough to hold an adult.
“I wonder what the true intent of the business is, and I wonder if you’re a therapist or a mental health therapist — and I wonder why you used the name ‘Diaper Spa’?” zoning board Chairman Glen Saba said Wednesday. “I just know personally, if I was looking for help I don’t think that’s what I’d Google or look up.”
Services at The Diaper Spa advertised on the website include a 30-minute call at no charge with the “resident Diaper Doctor, Doc Murphy” to talk about the various services and “a spa-like nursery experience for the little one inside of you, providing a warm, safe, and nurturing environment while you indulge in relaxation,” which runs $350 per hour.
Other services are available for prices ranging from $100 an hour for texting with Murphy to $1,500 for a 24-hour spa stay.
“Adult baby/diaper lovers” are described as people “who act a voluntary regression to a previous age and/or wear a diaper for psychological reasons,” in a 2020 article published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Researchers say, for many, being an “adult baby” is a way to cope with stressful or traumatic past experiences.
After an online petition at the website Change.org titled “Stop the Diaper Spa” received more than 500 signatures, references on The Diaper Spa’s website to trail walking and proximity to a nearby park were removed.
Saba questioned Murphy about the changes Wednesday.
“I see inconsistencies with your application,” Saba said. “Why have you changed your website and your business’s description so many times? I understand you just changed it again, and I don’t believe that any of the versions are consistent with your application.”
Changes were made, Murphy replied, after she realized there were things that people “misunderstood or were being misconstrued or misinterpreted, I think because they are not the audience for these services.”
Zoning board Vice Chairman Bob Connors told Murphy he could understand her changing language involving “walks in the park.”
“That generated a significant amount of conversation,” Connors said. “Some of this other stuff, it’s going to be hard for you to convince us that was changed because of people’s concerns. There’s stuff on here that’s very concerning to me, talking about boundaries of consent, massages, talking about changing diapers — who’s changing the diapers?”
“I change the diapers,” Murphy answered.
Neighbors’ objections
The application listed the Pope Road location as a four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom structure built in 2009 with an assessed value of $640,300.
During the public hearing on the application, abutter Mike Vigliotta — who said he moved into his home on nearby Grant Circle in December — said controversy over the spa has disrupted the neighborhood.
“We’re talking about maybe $50 million of surrounding property value that has instantly decreased,” Vigliotta said. “If I go to sell my house right now, there’s a whole group of people with families that are never going to look at my house.”
“If this Diaper Spa passes I absolutely feel my property value is no longer even what I paid for it,” Stephanie Vigliotta added.
Murphy’s website says she is a “doctor of medicine” and a “board certified diplomate and certified sexologist” by the American Board of Sexology.
The American Board of Sexology, which has existed since 1986, is a “professional verification institution of doctoral professors and research specialists that review and qualify candidates in the field of Sexology,” according to its website.
Atkinson resident Kayla Gallagher, a licensed registered nurse, said Murphy is not a licensed therapist, she’s not a licensed physician.”
“I can tell you the mental health epidemic in this country is severe,” Gallagher said. “And when we play into that, when we use our authority or advertise ourselves as a counselor, we’re creating potential victims. We need to protect our community from any sort of preying on any sort of victims, we need to protect our children from that as well.
“I’m asking you guys to shut this down.”
Board members voted unanimously to deny the permit.
“Any reasonable person would agree this has impacted the comfort, peace, enjoyment, health and safety of the community,” said Connors, the board chair.
