Four years of public drinking in Uptown Park has resulted in no complaints but also has done nothing to fix open container issues in the town.
In the summer of 2020, the city council of Oxford approved the implementation of the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) program, allowing patrons to enjoy alcoholic beverages in public spaces in a designated zone. Initially for just summers, the initiative was later extended year-round.
According to Lieutenant Lara Fenning of the Oxford Police Department, open container violations are always a prevalent issue in a college community. Despite this, the DORA initiative has been successful for the community and local businesses alike.
“I have not heard any grumblings of anything bad, and normally I would hear something if it was bad,” said Fenning. “We have had surprisingly well-mannered and law-abiding people.”
The city council approved the DORA initiative for summers only in 2020 and expanded the program to be year-round in 2022. The city council voted on the defined area, and then businesses within the area with liquor permits are given the option to participate or not, according to Jessica Greene, assistant city manager of Oxford.
“It has been a really smooth transition,” said Greene. “There are DORAs all over the state of Ohio, so the communities have gotten used to them. Our education curve was shorter than other communities who led the initial [program].”
Some local businesses take advantage of the program more than others. At Kofenya, baristas were unaware that they even had the cups behind the counter when asked about it. After dusting some off from a back shelf, they were able to serve it to a customer.
According to Hank Curlee, a bartender at The Wood’s, the DORA cups aren’t utilized as much as they could be.
“I get asked for a cup about once a shift,” said Curlee. “Sometimes I’ll get asked a few times if I work on a Saturday during the day.”
Both Fenning and Greene agree that they do not see the DORA program ending anytime soon. The initiative has been smooth and unproblematic, so it will continue on for the time being.
Click here for specifics about the DORA program and the designated area.
