The Kosciusko County Alcohol and Tobacco Commission heard a few comments and questions about Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas at their meeting Thursday. Shown from left are commission members Dan Woods, Alan Alderfer, Elim Smith and excise officer April Tackett. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.

By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — The Kosciusko Alcohol and Tobacco Commission doesn’t have a say on the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas approved within the county, but some comments were provided on D.O.R.As to the commission at their meeting Thursday, May 2.

Winona Lake approved an ordinance for a D.O.R.A. on Dec. 19, receiving approval for it from the state on Feb. 23. The Warsaw Common Council approved an ordinance on March 4, receiving approval from the state on Monday.

In July 2023, the state passed the legislation for Indiana communities to create D.O.R.As. A municipality can create up to seven areas within its jurisdiction allowing citizens to purchase alcohol at designated establishments and consume the beverage anywhere within the D.O.R.A. boundaries.

At Thursday’s meeting, Crystal Watters, of Rex’s Rendezvous, asked the commission if there was any information they would like to put out about the D.O.R.A.

Excise officer and commission member April Tackett responded, “I really don’t have anything to say about that, simply because once it gets approved on the state level, then all of the specifics — like what kind of cups do you use, where do the signs have to be, all of that stuff — is in their city ordinance, so I can’t even regulate it.”

Watters said the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce has a meeting next week for everyone that’s going to be within the D.O.R.A .district.

The downtown D.O.R.A’s border begins at the intersection of Lake and Main streets, runs east along Main Street, south along the west side of Indiana Street, turns west along the north section of Jefferson Street, turns north on Columbia Street, heads east on Center Street, turns north on Lake Street and terminates at the intersection of Lake and Main streets.

Heidi Blake, with Kosciusko Cares and Kosciusko Drug Free Coalition, said their primary goal is to prevent underage drinking and tobacco use.

“So we are here really just to hear about what’s going on each month and we actually would love to partner with tobacco and alcohol retailers, as far as volunteer enforcement and different things that are (going on) in the community,” she said. “We have concerns about the D.O.R.A. as well. We do partner with a statewide organization — Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking — and they do have guidelines that they suggest for us as far as D.O.R.A. Again, it’s not that we want to prevent people from coming downtown or coming to these businesses or people having fun, we’ve just got concerns to make sure that alcohol stays away from youth.”

She said there’s been issues in other communities that have D.O.R.As, so she just wants to make sure that underage drinking is prevented.

Commission member Dan Woods said they really don’t have any control over D.O.R.A. He said they agreed with her on her concerns, but the commission’s hands are tied once they give an establishment the okay to have their own alcohol license. The cities and towns with D.O.R.As have the control over the rules and enforcement of the D.O.R.A.

Blake said they have the same issue with tobacco and that there are retailers in the community who knowingly sell tobacco to people under the age of 21. She alleged there are retailers who lost their license to sell tobacco but are still selling it without a license. She said most of the issues they have with retailers are not with locally-owned retailers.

In other business, alcohol permit renewals without violations approved by the commission Thursday were for:

• Family Express Corporation, doing business as  Family Express #82, 409 Argonne Road, Warsaw, beer and wine dealer, grocery store.

• Family Express Corporation, dba FE81 North Webster, 730 S. Main St., North Webster, beer and wine dealer, grocery store.

• Garcha G Mart Inc., dba Warsaw G-Mart, 400 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, beer and wine dealer, grocery store.

• Hook – SuperX LLC, dba CVS Pharmacy #6499, 308 S. Huntington St., Syracuse, beer, wine and liquor, drug store.

• Hook – SuperX LLC, dba CVS Pharmacy #6503, 618 S. Main St., North Webster, beer, wine and liquor, drug store.

• Hook – SuperX, dba CVS Pharmacy #6462, 100 N. Detroit St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor, drug store.

• King’s Keg Inc., dba King’s Keg, 421 S. Main St., North Webster, beer, wine and liquor, package store.

• R.P. Watters Corp., dba Rex’s Rendezvous, 204 S. Buffalo St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor, restaurant.

• Saint Regis Club LLC, dba Anthology Whiskey Room, 111 E. Center St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor, restaurant.

• T.O. Downtown Inc., dba Downtown Eatery & Spirits, 205 W. Center St., Warsaw, beer, wine and liquor, restaurant.

• Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, dba Tippecanoe Lake Country Club, 7245 N. Kalorama Road, Leesburg, beer, wine and liquor, restaurant.

• Tippy Creek Winery LLC, dba Tippy Creek Winery, 5920 N. CR 200E, Leesburg, beer and wine retailer, restaurant.

• Tippy Dance Hall Marina LLC, dba Oswego Mini Mart, 2757 E. Armstrong Road, Leesburg, beer and wine dealer, grocery store.