South State Landscaping Upgrades. Fox in the Snow Ready To Open. Quiet Protest in Uptown. East Broadway Variances Delayed.
South State Landscaping
Westerville Parks and Recreation workers place a 2.5-inch Regal Prince Oak in place on South State Street on Thursday afternoon.
The city has a four-year plan to replace the trees and their sidewalk coverings. Last year, five trees were planted as part of a test to monitor their growth and assess the durability and design of the grates covering the ground around the trees.
This year, fifteen trees are being planted with galvanized steel grates installed on concrete pads around the tree openings. Bricks will be placed on the grates for decoration and to protect the ground and trees. Previously, bricks around the trees were set directly on the soil, which led to problems when the soil settled, damaging roots and creating safety hazards.
Next year, the city plans to replace 27 more trees along South State using the same technology. The fourth year of the plan will include other landscaping repairs and modifications, but none as significant as replacing the trees and the ground around them.
Fox In the Snow Ready To Open
Fox in the Snow is set to open Saturday at 8 a.m. with the first 150 people getting a one-of-a-kind t-shirt featuring the restaurant's iconic leaping fox logo.
This is the fifth restaurant in the chain, which promises to look at two more Columbus locations and is beginning a catering business to coincide with the Westerville opening.
Parking will be tough at best. Go early.
Silent Protest In Uptown
About 30 people stood quietly Thursday afternoon in Uptown Westerville, holding what they described as “Signs of Fascism,” highlighting policies and programs of the current administration that are evident in American society.
Toward the end of the hour-long display, the group walked one lap on each side of State Street in the block between College and Park.
Some drivers honked as they passed, with a few shouting opposition or playing loud music to calm or provoke the group.
Variance Request Tabled, Again
Jeffery Miller appeared again before the Westerville Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday evening to seek variances for several upgrades to his property on West Broadway.
The request was tabled at a previous meeting. Miller hoped that the new information he’d provided to the city, along with the plans for an updated survey, might convince the board to allow him to move his storage shed as suggested and to keep his carport, which was built too close to the city’s alley adjacent to his house.
The board voted to postpone the request again, stating they wanted to see the results of the new survey to better understand how serious the code violation might be. Miller previously told the board that he had relied on the contractor to obtain the proper permits and to follow city building codes, neither of which they did.
Westerille Community Planner Tom Lodge said a study of existing surveys indicates that Miller’s carport on a concrete slab might extend as much as two feet beyond the property line, and a new survey would establish the correct location.
A new hearing was scheduled for the November board meeting, pending Miller receiving the survey results planned for later in October. Miller asked if the board could approve three of his minor variances separately from the carport issue, but the board decided to keep the original application unchanged.
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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