DORA set to open Jan. 13 in Canal Winchester
Canal Winchester’s long-awaited Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area that permits patrons to buy alcoholic beverages in a bar or restaurant and then walk around certain city streets or in participating businesses is expected to be open Jan. 13.
The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control approved the application ‒ unanimously supported by City Council ‒ during council's Nov. 7 meeting.
Currently, six liquor permit-holders within the DORA ‒ Shade on the Canal, Barrel & Boar, Harvest Moon, Loose Rail Brewing, Roman’s Pizza Super Sub Shoppe and Local Cantina ‒ are allowed to sell to-go beer, liquor and wine in plastic cups or bottles.
Other businesses within the DORA boundaries, which encompass the Old Town area, can decide if they want to allow patrons drinking alcohol to enter their premises.
“Flyers will be going out to businesses (about) requesting a (DORA) sticker,” city Development Director Lucas Haire said. “If they will not permit DORA beverages within their businesses, that’s each business owner’s right in the DORA area.”
Municipalities are required to put together a plan that outlines the DORA’s hours of operation, which in Canal Winchester are noon to 11 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and on Labor Day.
The city has identified 21 locations where signs will be posted to ensure patrons know the DORA’s boundaries.
Ohio lawmakers first approved DORAs in 2015, and since then, such districts have been created by municipalities in more than 50 counties, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce website.
DORAs have been established in several central Ohio communities, including Bexley, Columbus, Gahanna, Grove City, Hilliard, New Albany, Powell, Westerville, Whitehall and Worthington.
Many see DORAs as economic-development drivers used to attract shoppers or diners.
Historical society gets additional city funding
The Canal Winchester Historical Society will receive up to $20,000 annually for the next three years as it prepares to open the new Canal Winchester Museum above the National Barber Museum & Hall of Fame.
City Council unanimously approved a proposal for “preservation and education regarding the historic and cultural resources of the Canal Winchester area.”
In recent years, the city has provided $10,000 annually for operations, such as utilities.
Historical society President Bruna Brundige told council that the additional funds were necessary to cover the cost of inflation and opening the museum.
The historical society complex includes the Queen of the Line Depot, Prentiss School House and O. P. Chaney Elevator at 10 W. Oak St., along with the barber museum, which is housed in Canal Winchester Schools' education center at 135 Franklin St.
Earlier this year, the Canal Winchester Board of Education entered into a 10-year agreement to lease the space to the historical society for the barber museum and the new Canal Winchester Museum above it for $1 per year, plus utility costs.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: DORA set to open Jan. 13 in Canal Winchester
