Council mulls area for outdoor refreshment

Talk of establishing a designated outdoor refreshment area, or DORA, on Oct. 19 reached Vermilion City Council.

Marilou Suszko, executive director of Main Street Vermilion, brought the idea to Council’s Streets, Buildings and Grounds Committee, since Main Street organizations are responsible for getting the programs off the ground in their respective communities.

Suszko said the Ohio Liquor Patrol Board implemented the program in 2015.

“It’s nothing new, but with COVID(-19) and people trying to expand the way that they can sell their products (with) carryout and create more business in a time where you socially distance, the DORA has been catching on,” she said. “There are more than 40 communities in Ohio right now that have implemented these programs.”

Neighboring communities that implemented the program include Lorain and Port Clinton.

The program would designate a particular area in the city’s downtown to allow alcoholic beverages out in public that are purchased from participating restaurants and bars.

The designated area only would permit beverages out and about on specific days and times, Suszko said.

For example, the designated area could extend from the intersection of Main Street and Liberty Avenue to a certain point, from 4 to 10 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays.

However, the designated area is just an idea for the city at this point, with Main Street Vermilion to start working with local businesses to see which are interested in taking on the program.

“We’re just trying to find out if it’s something that really even belongs in Vermilion,” Suszko said.

If implemented, drinks taken outside of establishments in the designated area would be in outdoor refreshment area specific cups with lids, participants would wear wristbands and signage and boundary markers would be installed.

“It has a lot of different safeguards in place so that people cannot bring liquor in from their homes or anywhere else,” Suszko said.

Although people could bring in beverages to other participating restaurants and businesses in the designated outdoor refreshment area, they could not bring one alcohol drink into a different establishment that also serves alcoholic beverages, per the program’s regulations.

Council President Steve Herron said he shares some residents’ concerns that this may promote over-drinking, as people quickly finish their drinks so they can visit other establishments.

However, Suszko said in speaking with other communities with designated outdoor refreshment areas, she said the program has not brought about issues.

“What I’m finding out is there are no problems that anybody is able to share with me about having establishing something like this,” she said. “It’s not an invitation to behave badly.”

With the recent passage of House Bill 669, which allows businesses to serve carryout alcoholic beverages, Suszko said this program is a natural extension to that legislation.

Mayor Jim Forthofer said he agrees that local businesses need to be surveyed to gauge the city’s interest in a designated outdoor refreshment area.

Council must pass legislation for a designated outdoor refreshment area, which Suszko said Main Street may seek next year for a 90-day trial period of the program.