Covington City Commission unanimously voted this week to direct city staff to draft a proposal for a common consumption area, where alcoholic beverages could be legally consumed outside, somewhere in the city.
The idea was proposed by Commissioner Tim Acri. Common consumption areas, or CCAs (known more commonly in the region by their Cincinnati moniker: designated open refreshment areas, or DORAs), refer to public areas where open container laws are exempted under certain conditions. Usually, containers in such areas have to be made of special materials and can’t exceed certain size limits. Beverages also can’t be taken out of the boundaries of the area.
Now that the commission has cast its vote, the city will begin drafting a proposal. Firstly, the city would need to find a space were the CCA would be. CCAs are only allowed within the city’s established entertainment destination centers, most of which are found north of 12th Street, City Manager Ken Smith said.
Once an area is identified, the city will need to get buy-in from that area’s businesses and residents. Next, the city would need to coordinate with the police department to ensure the CCA can be effectively enforced. Finally, the city would need to apply for permission from the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Discussions of the proposal will likely come before the commission again in the coming weeks.