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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowWestfield could become the second Hamilton County city to approve a district where people would be allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages and walk outside.
The Westfield City Council on Monday night heard an introduction of plans to create a designated outdoor refreshment area, or DORA, in the city’s downtown. Council members could vote to approve the DORA district at their June 24 meeting.
Westfield’s DORA would let people ages 21 and older purchase alcoholic beverages from participating bars, restaurants and vendors, and carry them outside and into shops that allow drinks.
So far, nine businesses and restaurants have applied to be designated permittees in the DORA district: Chiba (228 Park St.), Something Splendid (217 Mill St.), Greek’s Pizzeria of Westfield (231 Park St.), The Italian House on Park (219 Park St.), Nyla’s (211 Park St.), Four Finger Distillery (120 Camilla Court), Jan’s Village Pizza (108 S. Union St.) and Field Brewing (303 E. Main St.).
Mayor Scott Willis told council members the DORA area covers spaces in the city’s downtown that will likely experience development in the coming years. Five businesses and restaurants in the proposed DORA are adjacent to Grand Junction Plaza, a $39 million public park that opened in 2021 featuring greenspace, trails, an amphitheater and an ice-skating rink.
“We tried to be thoughtful in how we carved that out,” Willis said. “If you look at that area, that’s where you’re going to start seeing mixed-use density, restaurants, shops and things where it makes sense to have this kind of district.”
The Westfield DORA would be in effect from noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Sunday. People would be required to carry plastic cups with the DORA logo throughout the district. Businesses and restaurants would have signs saying DORA beverages are welcome, sold or not permitted inside.
Patrons would be limited to two beverages at a time, and drinks would only be allowed within the DORA boundaries. Exit signage would be posted at the boundaries of the DORA.
DORA beverages would be required to be thrown away before entering another bar or restaurant, including those that are designated permittees, and businesses with a “DORA beverages are not permitted” decal in their windows.
City Council member Joe Duepner asked how the city would go about enforcing the DORA rules, while Councilor Jon Dartt asked if other Indiana communities have experienced problems within their DORA districts.
“If law-abiding citizens choose to partake in this, I don’t think there’d be much of an issue,” City Council President Patrick Tamm said. Tamm is CEO of the Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association.
In April, members of the Noblesville City Council approved a DORA district that covers downtown areas on both sides of the White River. The city is awaiting approval from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed House Bill 1349 last year, making Indiana the fifth state to allow DORAs—following North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Communities are allowed to have up to seven DORA districts.
The ATC has approved DORA districts for 13 Indiana communities—Batesville, Fort Wayne, Greensburg, Huntingburg, Jasper, Jeffersonville, Kirklin, Lawrenceburg, Logansport, Shelbyville, Warsaw, Winona Lake and Yorktown.
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Maybe I am mistaken, but I was under the impression that in IN, having an open container/consuming alcohol in public was not prohibited. Obviously a difference from public intoxication laws.
Agreed with S.B. The key part of Dora is allowing people to take their beverages out. Open containers are not illegal in Indiana, despite many people assuming so because it is true in most of the US.