Site Walks Raise Hopes For New Post Office

By Nancy K. Crevier

Maureen Marion, spokesperson for public affairs for Connecticut and upstate New York of the United States Postal Service, said Monday that real estate specialists from the postal service had spent several hours March 20 walking five sites in Hawleyville to assess several possibilities for a new or renovated Hawleyville Post Office.

“[The specialists] look at everything that has been recommended, then they take the recommendations to the community for public discussion,” said Ms Marion.

“Typically, [the USPS] has a preference in the order of : a) do something with the existing facility, b) work with something already available or c) new construction,” she said. “We try to look at property that financially makes the most sense. How can we best meet our needs with what is available?”

She noted that the sites walked last week were all options outside of renovations to the existing facility. “At this stage, no decision has been made, but the five sites include one on Route 6, an existing site that would need some adaptation, which I believe may have been a doctor’s office; one site within a proposed shopping center on Route 25; a site across from that proposed center; the property behind the existing post office; and a site up the street from the post office on Route 25,” said Ms Marion. More specifics were not available at this time, but she added that the option behind the existing post office would be new building, and not include the present structure.

Hawleyville postmaster Mark Faval confirmed that he had met with USPS agents last week and walked several sites, all within one-half mile of the present post office. Because the district manager was unexpectedly unable to attend, though, nothing was really decided, said Mr Faval. “If I had a preference, it would be to keep the country look of the place, wherever it is. My job is to run the post office and their job is to find the best site. The most important thing is staying in Hawleyville,” he said.

Once a site is selected, it could still be weeks or even a few months before action is taken, said Ms Marion. “Because it is a negotiated situation, it is hard [to move quickly]. We also have to work with statutory requirements for community notices. These built-in requirements make the process a little slower.” A meeting between local leadership and USPS real estate specialists to discuss the site options for Hawleyville Post Office is hoped for in upcoming weeks, said Ms Marion, although as of Wednesday, March 26, no date had been set.

She said that once the selections have been whittled down to the most reasonable candidates, the USPS will be anxious to move the process before the community and community leaders and “get that spade in the ground.”