East of Africa Report

Road paving that started over the weekend was finished on Monday on the road connecting Polaris Parkway to the entrance at Central Ohio Primary Care on Afrida Road, across from the Sharp House.

The paving was halted just before Africa Road until a utility pole with data cables is removed. A work crew was drilling beneath the roadway on Monday to install conduit for the transfer, but they discovered an unmarked fiber cable, which delayed the drilling. The existing pole is situated within the path of the new road, specifically where it connects to Africa Road.

Contractors study cables they did not expect to see when digging a hole for an underground boring machine.

The new road passes within a few hundred feet of the historic Sharp House, which sits on a wooded acre of land that the city has not designated as part of the East of Africa development project. The city has hired a restoration team to oversee the property until a decision is made about the best way to handle the use of the building.

A worker uses a GPS device to check the elevation of asphalt paving installed Monday on one of the roads through the East of Africa project.

The Westerville News articles mentioning the Sharp House.

• Sharp House Preservation Planned. East of Africa Updates.

• Sharp House Gets Renovation Manager. Africa Road To …

• Moving Earth and Hancock Home Renovation

• Sharp Moonrise

• City Buys Family Home For Westar Road Extension

• East Of Africa Planning

• East of Africa Begins In Ceremonial Groundbreaking

• East of Africa Groundbreaking

• SUNday, Market Saturday, and A Sharp Friday For The Weekend

A road crew begins clearing a path for the Westar Boulevard extension to Africa Road. The route passes through land once owned by John and Joyce Starkey, who lived there for 40 years before the city purchased it at its appraised value. Their home was demolished last week. A concrete crusher reduced their foundation to rubble, spreading it across the ground where the new road will be built.

The Westerville News articles mentioning the Starkey home.

• Crews Clear Utilities at Former Starkey Home Ahead of Demolition

• Charter Amendment Opens City Council Discussion. Starkey Home Demolished as Westerville Expansion Moves Forward

• Starkey Home Purchased By City

• Paving This Week In East of Africa Update. Starkey House Demolition. Road Projects In The Works

• City Buys Family Home For Westar Road Extension

• East of Africa Dirt Piles Update and Sunbury Road Closure

• East of Africa Begins In Ceremonial Groundbreaking

• East of Africa Update and City School Year Begins

• City Solicitation Changes Proposed. School Board Public Forum (mentions “Starkey House Used For Training”)

The next phase of the road project involves completing the roundabout at the center of the southern section of the development and finishing the curbs and gutters for the final part of the road.

The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.

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