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
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
PREFACE
By Paul Bruhn, Preservation Trust of Vermont, Emily
Wadhams, Vermont Division of Historic Preservation and Karen
Horn, Vermont League of Cities and Towns
Today, Vermonters are confronting the environmental and
social effects of unchecked growth and suburban sprawl on our
state. Working together, we have stepped up efforts to
revitalize our community centers and preserve our rural country
side. We have learned that success requires cooperation,
compromise and patience.
One of the challenges facing Vermont’s communities is the
struggle to keep the post office in the town and village centers
and to insure that the design solution fits respectfully in the
community. Factors such as cost and efficiency drive
United States Postal Service decisions to relocate local post
offices, sometimes to sites outside of the town center. Each of
the organizations that we represent - Vermont League of Cities
and Towns, Preservation Trust of Vermont, and Vermont Division
for Historic Preservation, has worked together with residents
and local, state and federal officials to insure that, whenever
possible, the local post office remains visible, convenient,
accessible and compatible with its surroundings.
This handbook provides effective strategies for keeping post
offices downtown where they can best contribute to community
life. It is being published at a time when the Postal
Service has declared a moratorium on new expansion and
relocation projects. This moratorium is in sharp contrast to the
flurry of activity we have seen over the past several years. We
hope the moratorium coupled with the ideas, tools, and
information included in this handbook will help prepare you and
other local officials and citizens for the next wave of Post
Office activity.
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.
