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Council takes first reading on one-block East Main DORA expansion
Summary
On first reading council considered ordinance 11-25 to expand the Main Street Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) one block farther east from Cassingham to Montrose. The ordinance sets a public hearing and schedule consistent with statutory timelines; council asked staff to correct an emergency-title reference.
Council held the first reading on April 8, 2025, of ordinance 11-25 to amend the designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) boundaries on East Main Street to include an additional block between Montrose and Cassingham. The proposal, introduced by Miss Lamke, updates the DORA map to incorporate parcels on the far east side of the district at the request of a business located in the shopping center there.
Miss Lamke said the application is an amended version of the 2021 DORA that retains most language and adds updated business listings and a photo of the DORA cups. She said the proposed change is strictly geographical and would extend the existing boundary eastward; no other changes to the DORA rules were proposed.
Council members asked legal and logistical questions. Mr. Silverman asked whether there were restrictions on locating the DORA adjacent to a school; staff and the city attorney said they were not aware of a statutory proximity restriction. Mr. Hurley cited section 4301.82 of the revised code in the discussion of potential limits and then reported he had reviewed the code and not found a school-proximity restriction for the DORA. The city attorney said the ordinance as drafted referenced a public hearing date (May 13) and that the hearing and publication schedule had been arranged in keeping with state law. Staff also noted the city’s five-year DORA review would fall in April 2026, per the ordinance language.
Council members flagged a technical inconsistency: the ordinance title included a declaration of emergency, but the body did not contain emergency language. Staff acknowledged the title should be amended to remove an emergency declaration unless council later chooses to add emergency language. No public comment was filed for this item at the meeting.
The item remains at first reading and will proceed to the required public hearing and subsequent readings according to Ohio Revised Code timelines before any final vote.
