Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 4301 | Liquor Control Law
Section 4301.82 | Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas.

Effective: March 23, 2022
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 102 - 134th General Assembly
(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Qualified permit holder" means the holder of an A-1, A-1-A, A-1c, A-2, A-2f, or D class permit issued under Chapter 4303. of the Revised Code.
(2) "D class permit" does not include a D-6 or D-8 permit.
(B) The executive officer of a municipal corporation or the fiscal officer of a township may file an application with the legislative authority of the municipal corporation or township to have property within the municipal corporation or township designated as an outdoor refreshment area or to expand an existing outdoor refreshment area to include additional property within the municipal corporation or township. The executive officer or fiscal officer shall ensure that the application contains all of the following:
(1) A map or survey of the proposed outdoor refreshment area in sufficient detail to identify the boundaries of the area, which shall not exceed either of the following, as applicable:
(a) Six hundred forty contiguous acres if the municipal corporation or township has a population of more than fifty thousand as specified in division (D) of this section;
(b) Three hundred twenty contiguous acres if the municipal corporation or township has a population of fifty thousand or less as specified in division (D) of this section.
(2) A general statement of the nature and types of establishments that will be located within the proposed outdoor refreshment area;
(3) A statement that the proposed outdoor refreshment area complies with division (D) of this section;
(4) Evidence that the uses of land within the proposed outdoor refreshment area are in accord with the master zoning plan or map of the municipal corporation or township;
(5) Proposed requirements for the purpose of ensuring public health and safety within the proposed outdoor refreshment area.
(C) Within forty-five days after the date the application is filed with the legislative authority of a municipal corporation or township, the legislative authority shall publish public notice of the application in one newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation or township or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code. The legislative authority shall ensure that the notice states that the application is on file in the office of the clerk of the municipal corporation or township and is available for inspection by the public during regular business hours. The legislative authority also shall indicate in the notice the date and time of any public hearing to be held regarding the application by the legislative authority.
Not earlier than thirty but not later than sixty days after the initial publication of notice, the legislative authority shall approve or disapprove the application by either ordinance or resolution, as applicable. Approval of an application requires an affirmative vote of a majority of the legislative authority. Upon approval of the application by the legislative authority, the territory described in the application constitutes an outdoor refreshment area. The legislative authority shall provide to the division of liquor control and the investigative unit of the department of public safety notice of the approval of the application and a description of the area specified in the application. If the legislative authority disapproves the application, the executive officer of a municipal corporation or fiscal officer of a township may make changes in the application to secure its approval by the legislative authority.
(D) The creation of outdoor refreshment areas is limited as follows:
(1) A municipal corporation or township with a population of more than fifty thousand shall not create more than six outdoor refreshment areas. Any such outdoor refreshment area shall include at least four qualified permit holders.
(2) A municipal corporation or township with a population of fifty thousand or less shall not create more than three outdoor refreshment areas. Any such outdoor refreshment area shall include at least two qualified permit holders.
For purposes of this section, the population of a municipal corporation or township is deemed to be the population shown by the most recent regular federal decennial census.
(E) As soon as possible after receiving notice that an outdoor refreshment area has been approved, the division of liquor control, for purposes of section 4301.62 of the Revised Code, shall issue an outdoor refreshment area designation to each qualified permit holder located within the refreshment area that is in compliance with all applicable requirements under Chapters 4301. and 4303. of the Revised Code. The division shall not charge any fee for the issuance of the designation. Any permit holder that receives such a designation shall comply with all laws, rules, and regulations that govern its license type, and the applicable public health and safety requirements established for the area under division (F) of this section.
(F)(1) At the time of the creation of an outdoor refreshment area, the legislative authority of a municipal corporation or township in which such an area is located shall adopt an ordinance or resolution, as applicable, that establishes requirements the legislative authority determines necessary to ensure public health and safety within the area. The legislative authority shall include in the ordinance or resolution all of the following:
(a) The specific boundaries of the area, including street addresses;
(b) The number, spacing, and type of signage designating the area;
(c) The hours of operation for the area;
(d) The number of personnel needed to ensure public safety in the area;
(e) A sanitation plan that will help maintain the appearance and public health of the area;
(f) The number of personnel needed to execute the sanitation plan;
(g) A requirement that beer and intoxicating liquor be served solely in plastic bottles or other non-glass containers in the area.
The legislative authority may, but is not required to, include in the ordinance or resolution any public health and safety requirements proposed in an application under division (B) of this section to designate or expand the outdoor refreshment area. The legislative authority may subsequently modify the public health and safety requirements as determined necessary by the legislative authority.
(2) Prior to adopting an ordinance or resolution under this division, the legislative authority shall give notice of its proposed action by publication in one newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation or township or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code.
(3) The legislative authority shall provide to the division of liquor control and the investigative unit of the department of public safety notice of the public health and safety requirements established or modified under this division.
(G) If an outdoor refreshment area has been created in accordance with this section, the holder of an F class permit that sponsors an event located in the outdoor refreshment area may apply to the division for issuance of an outdoor refreshment area designation. The division shall issue such a designation if the division determines that the permit holder is in compliance with all applicable requirements established under this chapter and Chapter 4303. of the Revised Code. An F class permit holder that receives a designation under this division shall do both of the following:
(1) Comply with all laws, rules, and regulations that govern its type of permit, and the applicable public health and safety requirements established for the outdoor refreshment area under division (F) of this section;
(2) Not block ingress or egress to the outdoor refreshment area or any other liquor permit premises located within the area.
(H) Section 4399.18 of the Revised Code applies to a liquor permit holder located within an outdoor refreshment area in the same manner as if the liquor permit holder were not located in an outdoor refreshment area.
(I)(1) Five years after the date of creation of an outdoor refreshment area, the legislative authority of the municipal corporation or township that created the area under this section shall review the operation of the area and shall, by ordinance or resolution, either approve the continued operation of the area or dissolve the area. Prior to adopting the ordinance or resolution, the legislative authority shall give notice of its proposed action by publication in one newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation or township or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code.
If the legislative authority dissolves the outdoor refreshment area, the outdoor refreshment area ceases to exist. The legislative authority then shall provide notice of its action to the division of liquor control and the investigative unit of the department of public safety. Upon receipt of the notice, the division shall revoke all outdoor refreshment area designations issued to qualified permit holders within the dissolved area. If the legislative authority approves the continued operation of the outdoor refreshment area, the area continues in operation.
(2) Five years after the approval of the continued operation of an outdoor refreshment area under division (I)(1) of this section, the legislative authority shall conduct a review in the same manner as provided in division (I)(1) of this section. The legislative authority also shall conduct such a review five years after any subsequent approval of continued operation under division (I)(2) of this section.
(J) At any time, the legislative authority of a municipal corporation or township in which an outdoor refreshment area is located may, by ordinance or resolution, dissolve all or a part of the outdoor refreshment area. Prior to adopting the resolution or ordinance, the legislative authority shall give notice of its proposed action by publication in one newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation or township or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code. If the legislative authority dissolves all or part of an outdoor refreshment area, the area designated in the ordinance or resolution no longer constitutes an outdoor refreshment area. The legislative authority shall provide notice of its actions to the division of liquor control and the investigative unit of the department of public safety. Upon receipt of the notice, the division shall revoke all outdoor refreshment area designations issued to qualified permit holders or the holder of an F class permit within the dissolved area or portion of the area.
Last updated January 13, 2022 at 12:10 PM

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