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Goshen council approves amended boundary for downtown DORA on first reading after lengthy debate
Summary
On March 23, 2026, the Goshen City Council voted 5–2 to approve amended boundaries for a proposed Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) on first reading; the council agreed to return the ordinance for a second reading in April after public comment and questions about safety and inclusion of downtown businesses.
Goshen — The Goshen City Council approved an amended boundary for a proposed designated outdoor refreshment area (DORA) on first reading at its March 23 meeting, passing the amended ordinance 5–2 after extended staff presentations, council questions and public comment. Councilors decided not to proceed with a second reading the same night and will take up the ordinance again in April.
City staff presented the DORA proposal as a limited downtown footprint that would allow licensed restaurants and approved vendors to sell alcoholic beverages in branded cups or cups with stickers for consumption inside the mapped district. Michael Wambaugh, the city’s director of administrative affairs, said the plan grows out of outreach over the last three months and a downtown business survey; staff received about 55 responses and "over 90% of those respondents expressed strong support" among those who replied.
Don Schuler of the city legal department summarized the statutory…
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