New Phila Council approves DORA proposal
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Aug. 28, 2024) – Alcohol will soon be allowed at certain events downtown.
In an emergency vote Monday evening, council authorized the city’s application to establish a designated outdoor refreshment area – or DORA – in a few blocks around the square. The only no was from Councilwoman Cheryl Ramos, who grilled Mayor Joel Day about the proposal a week earlier.
The consultant who prepared the city’s DORA application gave a presentation the same evening outlining the requirements and potential benefits for the eight establishments participating.
“Worthington – which was the first community outside of Cincinatti, Cleveland and Cloumbus to do a DORA – they did a one-year survey, and their establishments in their downtown DORA district reported a 10 to 15 percent increase in revenue.”
Don Whittingham and other downtown business owners requested the designation.
“I want to have a blues fest on Fair Avenue so we don’t shut down state routes downtown and so forth once a year on a Saturday and use DORA cups to help,” he said during last Monday’s hearing.
“We’re already liable and in control of liquor distribution and sales in the area, so nothing is going to change. If anybody is going to be more cautious, it’s going to be us,” said Heather Mansell, owner of Gavin’s on the Square. “Those liquor licenses are our lives. We employ so many families that make money off of those liquor licenses. We’re not going top ut them it risk just because you can walk around with a cup.”
Opponents including Ted Knapp thought allowing people to walk around drinking alcohol was a bad look for the city.
“It is my opinion, and we all have them, is DORA is not compatible with the image of this city. To me, it is not progress but rather regress.”
So did Revive Church Pastor Tom Cunningham.
“I’ve preached all over the world and I have lived in five states so I have seen a lot of open carry alcohol in downtowns in cities from Alaska to Washington to Arizona… I’ve never seen open alcohol carry lackadaisical where it doesn’t cause problems.”
The application now heads the Ohio Department of Commerce Liquor Control Division for review.