Large, Noisy For-Profit Pool Party Prompts Charges For Gloucester Twp. Homeowner

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — In these sweltering days, there's nothing like inviting your friends to a pool party to cool off. Just don't charge them an entrance fee.

That's what Gloucester Township police found when they were called to a large, noisy pool party on Sunday evening in the Blenheim section of the township, police said Tuesday.

Police received several calls after 9 p.m. Sunday about the party at a home on Poplar Avenue with lots of people and loud music. There they found more than 100 people at the home and vehicles parked throughout the neighborhood. The homeowner had hired security to work the pool party, police said, and they determined partygoers had been charged a fee to attend.

When they checked the noise level with a sound level meter, they found the music was in violation of the Gloucester Township noise ordinance.

"The officers determined that the party was creating a major disturbance to this typically quiet residential neighborhood, and closed down the party," police said.

Police from the Runnemede, Stratford and Somerdale police departments were called to help with dispersing the partygoers.

"I am very concerned when a resident is found to use their residential back yard pool as a money-making business that requires security guards," Police Chief David Harkins said. "The situation is volatile and troublesome for the officers who are tasked with keeping the peace, while safely dispersing a large crowd in a residential neighborhood that is not designed to handle this."

"This is not a family barbeque or get-together, they are using their home to run an entertainment business. We will use all of our resources to keep the peace in this neighborhood," Harkins said.

The party organizer, Beverly Houston, 57, was charged with a disorderly persons offense of maintaining a nuisance, and Beverly Houston and the homeowner, Quade Houston, 31, were issued zoning violations "for home occupations involving commercial enterprise."

Quade Houston also was also issued several additional citations from Gloucester Township Code Enforcement for property/maintenance code violations that were found with the property.

The Gloucester Township Public Works Litter Patrol responded to the area the next day to ensure the neighborhood was cleaned up, police said.