Alcohol at the Pool
Our discussions last year led us to conclude that the then-current state of Virginia law did not permit alcohol to be consumed on our premises without a license. We explored licenses for both the Community House and the general membership and, during the off-season, required anyone renting the Community House to obtain the appropriate license for any alcohol being served.
Earlier this year, the Virginia Assembly recognized the same legal prohibition and moved to change the law to allow alcohol consumption at private pools without additional permits. The legislature passed and the governor signed H.R. 1520, which permits any private swim club operated by a nonprofit association to allow members to bring and consume their own alcoholic beverages on the premises starting July 1.
Please know we are working on what happens after July 1. Our current insurance carrier has said that it will not cover occurrences relating to alcohol, which leaves the association exposed to liability. We do know that other Northern Virginia pool associations have insurance coverage that permits members to bring their own alcohol to the club, so we are evaluating those carriers and will have an update soon.
Note: This message also was sent to members via email on Saturday, May 12.
