East of Africa Update. City Council Meets Tonight After Summer Break. Westerville Fire at Three-Alarm Apartment Fire.
East of Africa Gets Fire Protection
A newly installed fire hydrant marks the location of one of the new roads being constructed as part of the East of Africa development project.
On the left is a new holding pond built behind the Sharp House. The woods to the right are part of the ravine that cuts through the 88 acres along a creek that flows into Alkyre Run and eventually reaches Alum Creek.
This fire hydrant is located in the berm between the roadway, which will be built on the right, and the sidewalk, which will be constructed between it and the holding pond on the left.
This section of roadway will connect the road at Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC) to Polaris Parkway.
City Council Returns After Summer Break
Tuesday, Sept 2
City Council — Regular Meeting — 7:00 p.m., Westerville Justice Center, 229 Huber Village Blvd.
Agenda highlights:Ordinance 2025-17: Fast-food restaurant with drive-thru on Polaris Parkway, and Ordinance 2025-18: Financial institution with drive-thru on Polaris Parkway. This is a public hearing open for citizen comment on these two ordinances, which propose a major modification to the original development plan. City Council must approve any major modifications.
Ordinance 2025-19: Citizen-initiated charter amendment requiring analog meters.
Ordinance 2025-20: Regulations on solicitation, canvassing, and temporary street vendors.
Motion 11a: Contract award for 2025 street tree planting.
Columbus Apartment Fire Gets Westerville Response
Westerville Fire’s Ladder 111, Engine 115, and a battalion fire chief assisted the Columbus and Worthington fire departments at an apartment fire on Worthington Galena Road Sunday afternoon.
Westerville was one of three ladder trucks dispatched to the fire at a large apartment complex to protect the neighboring buildings if needed. The fire was contained to one building, although it was heavily damaged by fire and smoke.
Worthington Galena Road was blocked for several hours while firefighters checked for hot spots in the building that could reignite. No injuries occurred in the fire that started in a second-floor bedroom.
Weather Outlook
The skies will cooperate for the first half of the week, allowing residents to enjoy the late-summer sunshine before a round of storms moves in. Tonight stays clear and comfortable, with lows in the mid-50s. Tuesday is shaping up sunny and warm, topping out near 83, before another quiet evening in the mid-50s.
By Wednesday afternoon, the weather may interrupt outdoor plans as scattered showers and thunderstorms become possible. Daytime highs will sit near 82, and rain chances increase overnight. Thursday brings the wettest stretch, with steady showers and thunderstorms expected in the morning and midday. Temperatures will cool noticeably, reaching only about 69. Rainfall totals could climb to half an inch before skies clear in the evening, dropping to the upper 40s.
After that, the forecast turns friendlier. Friday and Saturday will be mostly sunny with highs in the low 70s and cool, crisp nights. Sunday and Monday look bright as well, holding steady in the low to mid-70s — a pleasant backdrop for neighborhood walks, football games, or going to the Saturday Market.
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