Fearing that some of its many massage parlors are fronts for prostitution, Costa Mesa is considering an urgent day moratorium on issuing permits for new massage parlors and existing parlors that want to expand. The city has 54 massage parlors by its count, which officials say makes for a much higher concentration than surrounding cities, and the volume of parlors is making regulation of the businesses a nearly impossible task for police.
Many prostitutes working in the region openly advertise in the adult services section along with some of the massage providers. A search of Internet marketplace Craigslist yields several massage parlors in Costa Mesa with provocative ads. The moratorium would start at 45 days, but Lt. Clay Epperson said that the city is looking to extend it for as long as two years and in the meantime implement policies that give officers more discretion to deny suspicious permit requests.
Other cities make it more difficult for massage parlors to establish themselves. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot. Contact Us. Site Map. By Alan Blank. Share via Close extra sharing options. Enter email address. Sign Me Up. More on this Subject. News Woman pleads guilty to stealing mail from Costa Mesa post office where she was a supervisor.
