Marion DORA expansion gets nod from committee, heads to full council

Andrew Carter, Marion Star
·4 min read
This map shows the proposed area for the expansion of Marion's designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) that was presented to Marion City Council's Legislation and Codes Committee on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The current DORA encompasses only a one-block area of downtown Marion.
This map shows the proposed area for the expansion of Marion's designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) that was presented to Marion City Council's Legislation and Codes Committee on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The current DORA encompasses only a one-block area of downtown Marion.

A proposal to expand the City of Marion's designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) is now headed to the full city council for consideration. The Legislation, Codes, and Regulations Committee voted 2-1 on Monday evening to advance the measure to the full council.

Councilman Jason Schaber, 3rd Ward, cast the lone "no" vote on the proposal, stating that he wanted Law Director Mark Russell to review revisions made to the measure by Marion City/County Regional Planning before moving it out of committee. Neither Russell nor a member of the law director's staff was in attendance at Monday's committee to answer questions or provide an opinion about the revisions. Councilmen Jeff Gerritsen, 1st Ward, and Aaron Rollins, At-large, voted to send the measure to city council.

According to the Ohio Department of Commerce, a DORA "is a specified area of land that a local legislative authority (city council or  township trustees) has designated as exempt from certain open container provisions as laid out in Ohio Revised Code Section 4301.82.

"Within the boundaries of the DORA, patrons can purchase an open beverage containing alcohol from an on-premises liquor permit holder, such as a bar or a restaurant, and leave the premises with the drink and continue consuming it."

Under terms of the DORA ordinance approved by Marion City Council in 2020, people can carry open containers of alcoholic beverages within the boundaries of the area. The drinks must be in specially-designated cups that are only provided by participating license holders within the DORA district.

The Marion DORA's current boundaries encompass "the (eastern-most) curb of S. Prospect St. on the west; the (southern-most) curb of Center St. on the north; the western edge of the north/south alley between South Main Street and State Street on the east; and, the (northern-most) curb of Church Street on the south."

According to the proposal submitted by Marion City/County Regional Planning, the DORA expansion would extend the borders to "the general vicinity of George Street to the north, High Street to the east, Church Street to the south, and Garden Street to the west."

Owners and representatives of businesses located within the proposed boundaries of the expanded DORA attended Monday's committee meeting to voice their support for the idea. Dora Evans, general manager of Attaboy's Comfort Cuisine, 289 W. Center St., and Harding Harbor Seafood, 267 W. Center St., led the group of supporters in lobbying the committee for its approval of the legislation. Chris Rennick is the owner of both restaurants.

"Our restaurants are located outside the present DORA. Expanding the DORA as it has been presented to the committee will allow our restaurants - and one additional restaurant (Bucci's Italian Scratch Kitchen) - to participate in the economic benefits that the present businesses in the DORA enjoy," Evans said. "The present DORA has been an economic boom for those few merchants included in the present boundaries. We business owners have observed the positive impact that it has created for the merchants fortunate enough to be included in the current DORA.

"Expanding the borders of the present DORA will bring patrons from the town center into the developing west end of downtown Marion. Presently, there are three restaurants in what is known as the Lower Downtown district, so DORA will help support our plans for outdoor dining at the Harding Harbor restaurant and eventually at the Attaboy's restaurant."

Longtime downtown Marion developer Lois Fisher, owner of Lois J. Fisher & Associates, reiterated her support for the DORA expansion. She said that the present incarnation of the DORA has been successful and that expanding it will allow businesses inside the proposed new boundaries to grow and thrive. Fisher is also a member of the Downtown Marion, Inc. board of directors, which supports the DORA expansion.

Like Evans and Fisher, Jenny Lust, owner and operator of Spruce & Sparrow at 194 W. Center St. in downtown Marion, explained that she believes the expanded DORA "would help bring customers down to my side of the street."

Mayor Scott Schertzer and Police Chief Jay McDonald have both stated that no issues have been reported to the Marion Police Department in regard to events during which the DORA is enforced since the district was established in 2020.

Marion City Council will meet in regular session at 6:30 p.m. on July 10 at City Hall. To see agendas and minutes from council meetings, go to the City of Marion website www.marionohio.us. To hear audio recordings of city council meetings, go to the City of Marion Ohio YouTube channel.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion DORA expansion gets nod from committee, heads to full council