Troy officials are waiting for final state approval of its Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA. Troy’s city council approved the proposal March 15.
In the plan, patrons of bars and restaurants in the downtown area would be allowed to walk outside with alcoholic beverages during certain times.
Organizers of the referendum petition drive think the decision on whether to have an outdoor drinking district should be made by Troy residents, not the city council, said Dave Pinkerton, a referendum committee member.
“It is only fair … that the people get to decide on it,” he said.
The district would operate noon to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday within a few blocks of the fountain. The petitioners’ say they are concerned the district is and hours put it in the path of students from the junior high and high school who walk across the Market Street Bridge school days around 2:45 p.m. There’s also the Van Cleve sixth grade building and the St. Patrick school, just east of downtown, Pinkerton said.
“A lot of these kids hang around downtown” and shouldn’t be exposed to people outdoors drinking, he said. The Rec, a downtown center for students, is located just south of the bridge in the district. There’s also concern about the alcohol and those in recovery who attend support/counseling in downtown area buildings, Pinkerton said.
Troy has 15 qualified alcohol permit holders in the proposed district, although not all are currently active. “Do we really want to show our drinking to the public? Troy is a family town,” Pinkerton said. “Alcohol ruins families. It is not a good thing, especially out in the open downtown.”
Petitioners started the referendum drive shortly after council voted 7-2 to accept the DORA on March 15. They have 30 days to collect signatures and have about one half needed so far. Anyone with questions on the petitions can call Pinkerton at 937-335-4501.
This was the second council vote on a DORA proposal. The first in August was rejected with one member voting in favor and the remaining eight voting against.
Mayor Robin Oda and Patrick Titterington, city service and safety director, are proponents of the DORA. They have worked with supporters along with the Troy Main Street downtown advocacy organization on promoting the concept of a DORA district, which was reduced in size and days of operation following the initial defeat.
Supporters were disappointed to hear of the attempt to referendum the DORA vote, Oda said Tuesday. If the petition drive is successful, it would shut down the planned mid-April launch of DORA, she said.
“This is something the city and Troy Main Street have been studying and looking at for the last two years or so – since before COVID. We’ve done our homework. This concept has been presented and discussed in public forums multiple times – we’ve listened to all sides, we’ve heard the pros/cons,” Oda said.
“However, with COVID and its disruptions and shutdowns, 2021 is a crucial year for restaurants and retail businesses and this is an opportunity we have to boost their recovery,” she added.
Research and discussions with people in other communities across Ohio have found the district’s have not been problematic, Oda said.
Xenia is slated to begin a DORA district in its downtown in May. The Oregon District in downtown Dayton began hours for similar outdoor drinking last year.
Troy officials said they would monitor for any issues and address them.
Troy Main Street has heard “quite a bit of positive support” for the DORA and sees it as important for downtown, said Andrea Keller, Main Street’s executive director.
“In what has been a very difficult year for our downtown businesses, it is imperative that we do all that we can to support our local businesses and their growth. We believe establishing a DORA will do just that,” Keller said.
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