DELAWARE — Five years after expanding the city of Delaware’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), city council renewed the existing DORA for another term on Monday.
“When we adjusted it five years ago, we did it because of COVID,” Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle said. “It used to just be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I believe, and I can’t tell you how many businesses said that helped save them.”
The existing DORA boundaries that council renewed are pictured below:
Riggle said she was told that once the existing DORA came up for renewal, council would have to expand the section along Spring Street.
“I believe the last time this was reviewed, there was a discussion of moving the southern boundary to the south side of Spring Street, pending a potential hotel development there,” Delaware Police Chief Adam Moore said.
“The way I read the resolution from 2021 is that that was approved as part of the overall DORA boundaries, but it was suspended to be activated by council at a later date or time.”
City Attorney David Moser further clarified that the Spring Street suspension will stay in effect with council’s latest renewal.
“With the anticipated potential development in that area, it is my opinion it may make sense to defer [a Spring Street expansion] for now,” Moser said.
By deferring the Spring Street expansion, council can explore other changes or expansions to the existing boundaries.
“Whether it be an expansion of this DORA or just a separately created district in a different section of downtown, or the city in general, this is purely just continuing what is in place today,” Moser said.
Riggle added that if the city does expand the southern boundary at a later date, council would want to include Ohio Wesleyan University officials in discussions due to the proximity.
