Wheeling City Council To Consider Establishing Open Container Districts

Wheeling City Council members are expected to bring forth legislation tonight to create Private Outdoor Designated Areas — or PODAs — allowing open containers of alcohol to be carried between participating establishments.
Also known as Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas or DORAs, these zones have been implemented in Ohio since 2015 and in West Virginia more recently. The West Virginia legislature enacted a bill in 2023 which included provisions authorizing municipalities to establish PODAs, where customers of license holding bars and restaurants can use designated cups to transport alcoholic beverages off premises to another participating business.
City officials discussed the proposal at length last summer, which Councilman Ty Thorngate brought the matter before the Development Committee of Council. Thorngate noted that it would likely take several months to bring an ordinance on the issue into focus.
During tonight’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, a new ordinance to create PODAs is expected to receive a first reading. The legislation will amend and reenact part of the city code regarding streets, utilities and public service.
According to the proposed ordinance, the designated zone will encompass a large section of the downtown from 10th Street between Water and Chapline streets and extending south to the southern end of Centre Market in Center Wheeling.
Operating times for the PODA, according to the proposed ordinance, will be Monday through Friday from 4-10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Previously implemented districts in areas of Ohio and in West Virginia cities such as Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg and Morgantown have been met with great success, encouraging community activities and helping to promote local businesses, officials said.
Today’s council meeting is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. on council chambers at the City-County Building on Chapline Street downtown. Prior to the regular council meeting, the Finance Committee of Council is scheduled to meet at 5:15 to review the December financial report for the city — representing the halfway point through the current fiscal year.
A meeting of the Rules Committee of Council is slated to take place beginning at 4:45 p.m. to discuss the proposed PODA district and to discuss parking meters in the city. At 4:30 p.m., the Health and Recreation Committee of Council is scheduled to meet to discuss the status of the Clay School.