Abolitionist Ale Works serves up the first Hip Sips drink in the new PODA district.
Update (2025 June 5): Abolitionist Ale Works at 129 West Washington Street was approved for a PODA license and officially opened the Charles Town downtown “Hip Sips” district in conjunction with a “walk about nothing“ sponsored by the City of Charles Town.
A Brief History
The Charles Town City Council approved a new ordinance to allow patrons of participating bars and restaurants to carry and consume alcoholic beverages outside of these licensed establishments.
The Council vote was 7 to 2 at the March 3 meeting after a second reading of the “Private Outdoor Designated Area” (PODA) ordinance, with councilpersons Priscilla Rodd and Elizabeth Ricketts voting against the adoption of the ordinance. The city has installed signage around the perimeter of the designated area (see map image).
Bars and restaurants located within a PODA boundary will need to apply for both a PODA permit from the City Manager and a special S4 license from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (WV ABCA). The PODA permit and S4 license will allow bars and restaurants to serve the beverages allowed under their existing WV ABCA license in special “PODA containers” that patrons can take outside of the serving premise.
No outdoor serving areas are permitted by the PODA ordinance and the use of the PODA containers is restricted to the beverages served by the licensed bars and restaurants. Other businesses within the PODA boundary can choose to allow or disallow entry to patrons with PODA containers (look for signs on the store windows).
The ordinance defines a single district, the “City Center PODA” (see map images below) and authorizes it to operate seven days a week year-round. The City Center PODA hours specified in the ordinance are Saturday & Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm and Monday through Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm. The ordinance authorized the City Manager to suspend the operation of a PODA at any time.
During the public hearing before the vote, 13 individuals spoke in favor of the PODA ordinance. Most of them mentioned support for downtown businesses in their comments. Matt Ward, one of the residents who spoke in favor, asked “what it’s like in a town that’s working?” and answered his own question by remarking that “people are walking around. We don’t have enough going on. We need to help our businesses.” He concluded his comments to the Council by noting that “downtown is our asset, placemaking is your job.”
Melissa Glascock was the only person to speak against the adoption of the ordinance, citing concerns about patrons leaving litter in her store, Needful Things Emporium, and damaging her vendors’ merchandise — noting that she already deals with discarded takeout containers and drink cups in the store. Glascock said she was not opposed to the public consumption of alcohol, — in her words, she’d like Charles Town to stay “historically hip, rather than historically sip.”
Prior to the March 3 meeting, The Observer spoke with several other downtown merchants who felt the City has made the PODA district too big to manage and who remain skeptical that the PODA itself will do anything to attract patrons that will benefit their businesses.
Published 2025 Mar 4. Updated 2025 Mar 6 (hours of operation)
Published 2025 Mar 4. Updated 2025 Jun 5 (PODA open for business).
By Steve Pearson