A Local Official’s Guide to Developing
Better Community Post Offices
A project of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, 
the Preservation Trust of Vermont,
and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation

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PREFACE | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PART I: INTRODUCTION | PART II: THE RULES & HOW TO USE THEM US | PART III: THE VERMONT MODEL & CASE STUDIES | SUMMARY | APPENDIX

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

“We believe that post office facilities should meet the needs of the communities they serve. In Vermont that may mean that the suburban design model is not appropriate. It may mean that the USPS has to think creatively when expanding or relocating within a historic district or rural village setting. It means that the USPS needs to consider the needs of a community as the community undertakes projects to revitalize and improve their downtown areas and village centers or create new, compact town centers.”

          ---Senators Patrick Leahy and James Jeffords, Representative Bernard Sanders and Governor Howard Dean in a letter to US Postmaster William Henderson, October 2000.

 

A. Why do you need this handbook?

The USPS is the most visible federal institution in America and is probably closer to the community than any other federal agency. Vermonters use the post office on a daily basis, making it an integral part of the community. It serves as a central meeting place and anchor for the community center.

Because of this importance, few events are as devastating to the health of a town in any state as the closing or relocation of a downtown or community center post office. A National Trust for Historic Preservation study of some of its “Main Street” towns found that some 80% of the people who shop downtown do so because it is convenient to the post office.# In recent years the United States Postal Service has been conducting an inventory of their space and facility needs. As a result, they have relocated an increasing number of post offices in Vermont and throughout the country. Over the last four years (1996-2000) approximately 30 Vermont post offices have been identified as being deficient and have been or are in the process of being relocated or expanded.

The Postal Service typically has solid reasons for seeking a change. Market and volume growth make it difficult for an existing facility to operate efficiently, and facilities sometimes become crowded to the point of hindering operations. In addition, the postal service is mandated by Congress to be fiscally self-sustaining, so it must constantly look for ways to improve its financial performance. The Postal Service has also, arguably for efficiency purposes, preferred a uniform, one story “cookie-cutter” building plan or an expansion plan that is surrounded by lots of paved parking spaces (which often require the demolition of surrounding buildings)– designs that do not fit into the unique character of most Vermont communities. As a result, when a change is warranted, the Postal Service’s easiest solution isto move a post office to the outskirts of a town where land and building space are less expensive.

The good news is that cities and towns can successfully challenge Postal Service decisions that may negatively impact their communities.  However, to be successful, local officials and citizens must take the initiative. The local community must give the USPS clear guidance on how best to meet its needs. The purpose of this handbook is to help local officials and residents develop and implement solutions to proposed expansions and relocations - solutions that meet the needs of the community and the post office. The handbook reviews:

• Ideas for developing a strong working relationship with postal officials;
• Strategies for working with postal officials to insure that, whenever possible, the local post office remains visible, convenient, accessible and sensitive to its surroundings;
• A “Vermont Model” for local post office redevelopment projects; and
• Current USPS regulations and proposed legislation governing post office relocations.

*** Remember, the key to a post office development that fits with your community is action by local officials and community members. ***
 

B. Understanding the USPS and the role the post office plays in Vermont downtowns and village centers.

The United States Postal Service, established in 1775, was dramatically reformed by the Postal Service Reorganization Act of 1970. The 1970 Act removed the Postmaster General from the presidential cabinet and created the postal corporation wholly owned by the federal government. As a result, the Post Office Department was transformed into the United States Postal Service, an independent establishment of the executive branch of the government of the United States.

The new USPS was given the mandate to become financially self-supporting. All federal subsidies to the USPS were phased out by 1982.  The mission of the Postal Service is to “provide postal services to bind the Nation together though personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people…[and] to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and … to all communities.”  39 U.S.C. Part 241.

There are three basic types of local post offices in Vermont -  19 facilities are owned by the USPS (usually over 6,500 square feet), 259 facilities are leased by the USPS and less than 20 are small contracted post offices, known as Certified Postal Units, usually located in a local general store or market. The vast majority of Vermont post offices (259 of 298) are located in privately owned buildings that are leased by the USPS. Most post offices provide a wide variety of customer services including: mailing and receiving packages, parcels, registered and insured mail, post office box rental, retail sales of stamps, money orders, envelopes, packaging supplies, and post office memorabilia.

The local post office is an essential part of a vibrant downtown for the following reasons:

• Community. The post office is a traditional gathering place for the community. Nearly everyone has some reason to visit the post office at least a few times a year and many people and businesses visit the post office daily.
• Community Identity. Community identity is often tied to the post office. When a community decides to insist on keeping its post office in the village center it is in fact fighting to preserve its heritage and its identity.
• Convenience. Essential services, retail and other, are often located within walking distance of the post office so that residents can conveniently access these services.
• Economic Development. The post office is an economic engine and an anchor tenant for many communities. By attracting pedestrian traffic, other businesses located in nearby commercial areas benefit. In return, downtown businesses are big consumers of post office services.
• Taxes. By generating economic activity to downtown businesses, property values grow and remain strong thereby generating tax benefits for the local community.
• Smart Growth. Consolidation of government and other essential services in a downtown location allows towns to maximize the value of existing infrastructure (roads, sewer, power and telecommunications) and municipal services (police, fire).
• Heritage. Many post offices across Vermont are located in historically significant and often beautiful buildings and districts.

C.  Strategies for developing a strong working relationship with local postal officials

Before your local post office decides to move, it is wise to lay the groundwork to ensure that any future decisions to relocate are made in partnership with the community. Here are some ideas to prepare your community for a post office redevelopment project:

• Identify the community impact of the post office. Collaborate with a local business organization, community or school group to conduct a survey of people who visit downtown and/or visit the post office. Hard data to support the economic impact of the local post office in your village or town business center will go a long way in support of any arguments to keep the post office downtown. The National Main Street Center, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has developed some sample “intercept” surveys that ask local business visitors whether they plan a visit to the post office during their current trip downtown and/or how often they visit the post office.  See the Resources section of the Appendix for contact information for the National Main Street Center.
• Celebrate your community’s heritage, including the post office. Working with state, regional or local historic preservation groups, local business owners and community leaders, plan events or exhibits that honor and celebrate your community’s heritage, including the history of the post office.  Invite local and regional post office officials to attend.
• Invite postmaster and other regional USPS officials to participate in community events. Get to know the local postmaster and regional USPS officials.  Make sure that local and regional postal officials understand how important the downtown post office is to you and the community.  Invite the postmaster to meet with the local selectboard or city council to discuss issues facing the post office. The USPS regional Facilities officials are located in Windsor, Ct. The regional Operations officials are located in Springfield, MA. See Appendix for address and Vermont contact information.

Appendix

A Local Official’s Guide to Developing Better Community Post Offices
A project of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Preservation Trust of Vermont, and the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, June 2001
Prepared by: Jessica Oski, Esq. with Editorial Assistance from (in alphabetical order): Paul Bruhn and Ann Cousins, Preservation Trust of VT; Jim Condos, state senator and South Burlington city councilor; Karen Horn, Vermont League of Cities and Towns; Don Keelan, The Keelan Company; Fred Kenney, Senator Leahy’s Office; Jeff Munger, Senator Jefford’s Office; Jenny Nelson, Representative Sanders’ Office; John Rehlen, private developer; Glenn Smith, Westminster Town Manager; John Taylor, Governor Dean’s Office; Emily Wadhams, State Historic Preservation Officer; and David Weinstein, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.