Will New Philadelphia allow outdoor drinking downtown?
NEW PHILADELPHIA – City Council is considering allowing outdoor drinking downtown.
It would be called a DORA – designated outdoor refreshment area – and is allowed under state legislation created in 2015.
Downtown business owner Jim Knisely presented the idea from the Impact Community Action Committee last week. The proposed area includes seven downtown bars.
To drink outside, patrons would have to buy designated cups from those establishments.
“In other words, somebody can’t just grab a beer out of their car and pour it in a Solo cup and walk around. That’s not allowed,” Knisely said.
He said sales of the cups would benefit the New Philadelphia VFW.
Knisely says DORAs have helped revitalize downtowns in places like Coshocton and Ashland.
City’s council’s special contact committee will discuss the DORA proposal Feb. 12.