Visitors to downtown Goshen’s bars and restaurants may soon be able to take alcoholic beverages outside. The city council voted five-to-two Monday to establish a “designated outdoor refreshment area” or DORA.
It would include four blocks along Main Street, along with branches to the west that would include Goshen Brewing Company and Powerhouse Park. The DORA would only be in place at certain times: Thursdays from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m., Fridays from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 11:00 p.m. and during special events approved by the Goshen Board of Works.
“We’ve added a little tagline here: ‘Responsible drinks, open community space and no fencing required,’” said Goshen Director of Administrative Affairs Michael Wanbaugh.
Drinks taken outside would have to be placed in a disposable cup with a logo provided by the city, and businesses would have the option not to participate. Eleven bars and restaurants have agreed to take part.
While no members of the public spoke against the proposal, council member Doug Nisley said some residents expressed concerns to him. "I’ve talked to some of the people that live in my district that they will not bring their kids back up and neither drop them off nor come to First Fridays if this is happening up there," said Nisley, who ultimately voted against the DORA ordinance. "They don’t want to be around that."
Nisley said he spoke with seven or eight businesses who also opposed the DORA. He said many that don’t sell alcohol felt it wouldn’t benefit them.
Supporters said they don’t expect the DORA to cause major changes, but they think that removing the need for a fenced-in beer garden will make things easier for organizers of events like First Fridays and encourage people to visit downtown businesses.
Goshen Theater Executive Director Michael Stoddard denied the idea that a DORA would turn the downtown area into a “drunken stupor.” “It’s just not true because everyone gets way more drunk sitting at one bar on a stool, and then they stand up and realize how drunk they really are,” Stoddard told council members.
The organizers of First Fridays said they’d have recycling bins set up at all events this year, to address concerns about additional waste.
Still, Mayor Gina Leichty admitted that the DORA would require some “self-governance and discipline,” since police couldn’t be at every exit point. “If we were running into lawlessness issues or public drunkenness issues at our events, then this would not be something that I would be advocating for, but I feel like Goshen is a pretty safe town,” Leichty said.
Nisley proposed adding a sunset clause, making the DORA expire January 1, but it was ultimately voted down. Still, Wanbaugh agreed to provide an update on how the DORA is working before the end of the year.
The DORA now goes to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission for final approval.
Monday’s approval is part of a larger trend. The city of Elkhart approved its own DORA earlier this year, and Goshen recently agreed to allow alcohol at approved events in the city’s parks.
