Early risers Saturday morning traveling along E. 11th Ave. met with an unexpected roadblock – a house on wheels.
Habitat for Humanity teamed up with the city of Columbus to move the house from the Expo Center at the Ohio State Fairgrounds to a location near Interstate 71 and 17th Avenue.
The five-hour move was by no means a breeze. All of the wires, phone lines and traffic lights along the route were temporarily removed to allow the 29-foot tall house to pass.
The original route for the move was to travel around Crew Stadium, and another plan was to take the short ride north on I-71 from the 11th Avenue entrance to the 17th Avenue exit. Both plans would have required the use of a crane to remove signs along the way, exceeding the funds available for the move.
The house was constructed during the Ohio State Fair in August, with more than 25,000 volunteers contributing to the construction of the three bedroom home. After the construction costs and that of the move, the project’s net income was more than $100,000. It was an overwhelming success, according to Dave Bezaire, Habitat volunteer and co-chair for the organization’s Ohio State Fair house project.
“Sweat equity – that’s part of having a Habitat House; it’s doing the work,” Bezaire said.
The proud homeowner is Sallie, whose last name could not be released. Sallie spent all 10 days of her vacation time this summer working on the house during the fair. She and her family look forward to moving to their new home. She was beaming throughout the entire move.
“I’m so excited,” Sallie said. “We began picking out lots back in early spring, and now my house is on the bed of a truck.”
Sallie’s family and the Habitat staff were part of the slow moving motorcade which followed the truck as it crept along its route. As they wound their way along the streets, cameras flashed and videocameras rolled.
Doug Kapel, the truck driver who moved the home, and his co-workers from AA House Movers, drove down from Cleveland for the move.
“This is only a 48,000-pound house,” Kapel said, “and a pretty easy move compared to some others we’ve worked with.”
Jane Sagraves, family services director for Habitat for Humanity, snapped photos and helped during the move. She provided Sallie with 700 thank you cards to send to volunteers for their help. The cards depict the house on the front while it was still under construction.
Bob Perryman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, said he was equally excited.
“What a move – and not a single crack,” Perryman said about the successful trip.
The house will be raised today to have its cement foundation poured, and then it will have its wiring, furnace and other services installed in the next couple of weeks.
“Sallie’s been great through this whole thing,” Bezaire said. “She’s picked up a saw, a hammer, whatever. She’s learned so much along the way.”
