Statement of Mayor David R. Mayer on the Court Ordered Closure of Harry's Tires - March 18, 2022:
"On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, Gloucester Township officials and the Camden County Sheriff's Department enforced a Court Order issued by Camden County Superior Court Judge Nan S. Famular, J.S.C. permanently enjoining Harry's Tires, LLC from storing receiving, buying, and selling tires or from operating a tire repair or replacement business at its business locations. Harry's Tires primary business is located at 24 Hilltop Avenue; however, it also stores used tire inventory and scrap tires at a second location at 1016 Black Horse Pike, in Blackwood section of Gloucester Township. Further, the Court Order authorized the Gloucester Township Public Works Department to remove all tires, padlock any doors, secure the locations, install concrete barriers to prevent ingress and egress from the locations and take any other reasonable actions to otherwise prevent the business from operating.
Since at least 2019, the Gloucester Township Code Enforcement Unit, the Gloucester Township Office of Emergency Management, Chews Landing Fire Marshal's Office, the Gloucester Township Police Department as well as other State, County and local agencies have received numerous complaints from residents and business owners about the public health and safety dangers posed by the business operations of Harry's Tires. These complaints included the improper storage of used tires and complaints of swarms of mosquitos coming from the mounds of used tires being improperly stored at Harry's Tires located at both the Hilltop Avenue shop, and the Black Horse Pike storage property. The sites contained hundreds of potentially combustible tires haphazardly strewn about the properties, making it a significant risk for fire and other dangerous health hazards. Prior to the issuance of the Court Order closing the business, there were numerous inspections, meetings, court summons, enforcement actions and attempts to obtain the owners cooperation to address the long-standing conditions that have existed at the properties since before 2019 from the owner of Harry's Tires, Mr. Harry Lamplugh, Mr. John Lamplugh, and Ms. Lynda Lamplugh. Over an extended number of years, the owners continuously failed and neglected to clean up the properties, properly store and limit the number of tires and on numerous occasions have violated the New Jersey State Fire Code, New Jersey Solid Waste Management Act, and the Township Property Maintenance Code, and Zoning Code. Because of the public health, safety, and environmental hazards to the community of a potential fire, toxic smoke, swarms of mosquitos, and other dangers at the property, the Township acted to obtain a Court Order to stop the accumulation of additional tires and to remove the large numbers of scrap tires at the sites in an effort to mitigate the risks to the residents and the community of Gloucester Township.
Consistent with the Court's Order, I have worked with the Camden County Sheriff's Department and the Gloucester Township Police Department to enjoin Harry's Tires from continuing to unlawfully and dangerously operate its tire business. I have directed the Public Works Department to remove the tires from both locations. Presently, the Township has removed the scrap tires from the Hilltop Avenue Shop and is in the process of removing the tires from the Black Horse Pike site in accordance with the laws and regulations of the State of New Jersey.
Township officials will continue to monitor the situation and will take any legal actions necessary to keep the residents and community of Gloucester Township safe.
If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to contact my office at 856-374-3514, or email us at [email protected]"
Mayor David R. Mayer.
