Sandusky's outdoor drinking area to expand

SANDUSKY — Sandusky officials intend to deepen downtown's designated outdoor refreshment area. Often referred to as a "DORA," an imaginary boundary mostly falls around the central business district, permitting people to consume alcohol so long as it's purchased from a downtown Sandusky establishment and poured in a specially labeled cup. If approved at Monday's city commission meeting, here's how the expansion would look: • The present-day area encompasses Decatur to Franklin streets; Washington Park to Sandusky Bay, which includes Jackson Street Pier, the Paper District Marina and the Sandusky Yacht Club. Signage is installed around downtown to notify people when they are entering or exiting the area. • A proposed enlarging of the area would include three more blocks abutting present-day boundaries: on Washington Street to include an area between Franklin, Market and Wayne streets; and on Market Street to include an area between Franklin, Warren and Water streets. "The creation of a downtown Sandusky DORA was one of the top priorities outlined in the Downtown Sandusky Master Plan, which was adopted in early 2021," said city communications manager Tom Horsman, noting it went into effect two years ago in July 2021. "Since then, it has been a popular addition to downtown Sandusky to allow people to patronize local establishments and enjoy our downtown and waterfront areas," Horsman added. Horsman noted, within the past two years, Everwild Spirits opened, and two other businesses — in the former Buckeye Broadband/Cable and former Kreimes Cardinal Grocery buildings — serving liquor should open soon. As of today, those entities don't fall within the refreshment area boundaries. But a proposed expansion would then let these places enter this zone. "The city reached out to residents and stakeholders within the new proposed expansion area to get feedback, and there has been strong support for expanding the DORA in these areas," Horsman said. So, if city commissioners approve the measure, when should this zone expand? "The city will send it to liquor control for final approval, which should take a couple of weeks," Horsman said. Defining the 'DORA' In 2015, Ohio allowed cities to establish specific districts as a way to relax and/or suspend open container laws. As of today, there are at least 60 designated outdoor refreshment area districts operating in cities across Ohio currently, including in Port Clinton, Norwalk and Fremont. For Sandusky, in 2021, city commissioners created one, placing an imaginary boundary around most of downtown, labeling the zone as a designated outdoor refreshment area. It generally lines up with the business zoning and community entertainment district boundaries. "The DORA was spurred on by COVID as a way to help bars and restaurants in the downtown and allow people to go outside with beverages because of (indoor COVID restrictions)," Horsman said. "We've really seen the advantages of it (the last two) summers of people taking their drinks down to the pier or while they're visiting some of the local shops." Here are some other rules to know: • Sandusky's designated outdoor refreshment area operates from 9 a.m. to midnight daily. • Anyone consuming alcoholic beverages in the outdoor area must drink out of a special 16-ounce plastic cup. Consumption from other cups, glasses or vessels would be considered an open container violation subject to law enforcement. • Beverages must be purchased from a bar or restaurant within the refreshment area's boundaries. • Empty cups brought from one establishment cannot be taken into another bar or restaurant. In this instance, people would need to buy another cup from the newest bar or restaurant they visit. • People cannot take a filled or partially filled designated outdoor refreshment area cup from one participating liquor establishment into another participating liquor establishment or back into the establishment where the beverage was purchased. Used cups must be emptied or disposed of before entering a liquor establishment. • Beverages may only be carried into stores displaying a green sign indicating that DORA beverages are permitted. • Patrons cannot bring their own alcoholic drinks into the designated outdoor refreshment area. • Purchased drinks must remain in the designated outdoor refreshment area cup. An overwhelming majority of people have followed these rules, Horsman said. "The biggest issue I've heard of is someone not abiding by a DORA rule," he said. "It's just a learning curve and as people get more used to it, and the bartenders get more familiar with the rules, issues will be mitigated." Many business owners serving alcohol in the area appreciate this policy and welcome an expansion. "The city of Sandusky has such a beautiful waterfront and DORA's keeping people in the downtown area longer," said Ryan Tamburrino, co-owner of Clubhouse No.3 SportSocial. "Rather than having to sit inside, they have more freedom. Everyone seems to be really respectful of it, too. It's been a big thing for us." Added Ryan Whaley, the owner of Paddle Bar: "It's been great. People come in from going down the bike path, and a lot of parents come to get drinks while they're at the parks. From what I've seen, folks have been respectful. I don't see DORA garbage. People are throwing their cups away."