Postal officials make final decision on location

A final decision was made Tuesday on the fate of the Healdsburg
Post Office, and as expected, postal officials approved the
proposal to make the Foss Creek Circle facility its permanent
home.
The downtown post office was destroyed last summer in a fire and
post office boxes and retail services were immediately set up at
what was then the postal annex.
The decision over the permanent home of the post office was made
this week by the U.S. Postal Service Vice President of Facilities
in Washington D.C., but an appeal is still a possibility and would
likely be the final chance the city has to make a difference in the
matter.
Headsburg City Councilmember Jim Wood was Mayor when the fire
destroyed the downtown post office and led the effort from the city
to try to retain postal services downtown. Wood said Tuesday night
that he thinks the city should appeal the decision.
“They pretty much just said that this was their final decision,”
Wood said. “I am not optimistic about changing their minds, but
this appears to be the last opportunity we have to make ourselves
heard.”
After postal officials dismissed calls from members of the
community for the downtown post office to be rebuilt, local
political pressure was applied by the city and US Congressman Mike
Thompson’s office.
The USPS responded by sending out a survey and agreeing to a
public meeting, all the while maintaining that the Foss Creek
facility was their preferred location.
When the post office was located downtown on Center Street, it
was housed in a building that had been degrading for some time.
When the post office was in the Center Street building, the USPS
was paying more than $100,000 in rent. Even before the fire, postal
officials had looked into consolidating into the newer, more modern
Foss Creek Circle facility.
But traffic and parking were always considered problematic and
customers have complained that with the increase in business at the
Foss Creek Circle facility, the location has become even more
unsafe.
At a public meeting held in January, postal representatives said
they would make further improvements to the traffic and circulation
pattern at the Foss Creek Circle facility.
“It is hard to see how they can expect to survive longterm if
their only approach to an ineffective business model is
consolidation,” Wood said.
As provided by United States Postal Service guidelines, members
of the Healdsburg community have until March 16, 2011 to appeal the
decision. Appeals should be directed to Vice President, Facilities,
and addressed as follows:
Vice President, Facilities
Attn: Diana K. Alvarado
Facilities Planning and Requirements
395 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 225
South San Francisco, CA 94080-0300
Tribune Editor Kerrie Lindecker can be reached at

ke****@so********.com











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