After two revisions and three split votes since its introduction, creation of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) downtown was approved by the Greencastle City Council in a 4-3 decision Feb. 13, 2025.
Under the DORA ordinance, anyone 21 years and older can buy alcoholic beverages (a maximum of two) from approved vendors and retail establishments and then carry them outside to be consumed within the designated district. As proposed, DORA is to be in effect 52 weeks a year from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Last November, the City Council voted 4-2 against the measure, which was then revised and returned in December to be approved 5-2 on first reading with Burdge Boots added to the district in order to benefit from what is seen as additional foot traffic due to DORA. Council members Vincent Aguirre, Katherine Asbell, Dave Masten, Mark Hammer and Tina Nicholson voted in favor, while Stacie Langdon and Darrel Thomas voted no.
Thursday night, with the ordinance revised to include the Elks Club on South Indiana Street, Councilors Aguirre, Asbell, Hammer and Nicholson were in favor with Masten, Langdon and Thomas against as the ordinance was adopted on second reading.
Aguirre, who was part of the original committee digesting DORA, called the omissions of Burdge Boots and the Elks Club an oversight, noting the committee “always intended to have them in there.”
As defined in the ordinance, Downtown DORA zones are to be established as follows:
• Zone 1 (Historic Downtown) — Effectively downtown Greencastle with boundaries east from the intersection at Market and Franklin streets, west from North College Avenue and East Franklin, from the north sidewalk of Franklin Street south to the south sidewalks of Poplar Street and all the area in between.
• Zone 2 (East Downtown/South City Hall) — Area east of Zone 1 and north of Zone 3, including 302 and 306 E. Washington St. (Taco Wapo and Myers’ Market). Boundaries from south sidewalk at the intersection of College Avenue and U.S. 231 (Washington Street) to the west sidewalk at the intersection of South Locust and Washington streets, south to the south sidewalk of East Walnut Street.
• Zone 3 (Seminary Square/DePauw Corridor) — From bottom edges of Zones 1 and 2, south to include 202 S. College Ave. and 2 W. Seminary St. (Marvin’s and The Duck). Runs from west sidewalk of Indiana Street to east sidewalk of South Spring Street, from the south sidewalk of East Walnut Street to the south sidewalk of East Seminary Street.
Business owners Pete Meyer of Moore’s Bar and Joel Everson of The Whisk and The Bodega voiced their continued support of the measure, while local resident Ron Pittman was the lone speaker to express opposition.
“With the construction, every single business downtown is hurting,” Meyer said, suggesting that control of traveling DORA cups is on the businesses. “We need more business,” he added, “and we ned more foot traffic downtown.”
Tackling the notion that some opposition sees DORA as possibly eroding the family atmosphere of Greencastle and its downtown, Everson said no one with children that he has talked to about it is opposed to the DORA effort. Meanwhile, everybody he was talked to that opposes it doesn’t have children.
Pittman, meanwhile said he doesn’t think DORA “is going to benefit the people who are wanting it.”
Suggesting more consideration be given to the DORA measure before a final vote, Pittman said more viewpoints and more evidence are needed.
“I don’t have a vote here but I do have a vote with my dollars,” Pittman added.
In voting in favor of the ordinance on second reading, Councilman Hammer, who was originally opposed in December, said “This is much better than where it was when it started.”
However, Council Masten, who voted against DORA this latest time, originally voted against it in December, then for it in the January vote on first reading, and after pausing several seconds before voting Thursday night, returned to being against it.
The DORA effort will not start until the city puts up proper signage for entering and exiting the district. Cups for vendors to purchase and decals designating businesses involved in the program are also needed.
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