Ukiah Downtown Post Office
For 74 years the historic Ukiah Post Office has been the heart of our downtown. On February 23, the United States Postal Service(USPS) formally proposed to abandon this building and to remodel the carrier annex on Orchard Avenue at the edge of the city to replace it.
Walk no more. Today, the Post Office is within easy walking distances for downtown offices, businesses and thousands of nearby residents. That convenience would be lost by moving the Post Office to a distant location accessible only by car.
So long, downtown. The Post Office is a vital component of the mix of services, offices and businesses that give Ukiah a real downtown where we enjoy a community atmosphere. Take away the post office and the downtown would suffer a serious blow to its economic and social viability.
So long, USPS income. The USPS complains about its financial problems. But losing the downtown location will also mean that USPS would lose parcel and express letter business that it gets now because it's more convenient than its competitors. Moving a mile away would destroy that advantage. And hundreds of people who rent post office boxes will give them up if the Post Office
is no longer downtown.
Lost history. Although convenient and fully functional, the Ukiah Post Office is also a remarkable historic asset that was built by the New Deal public works program in the Great Depression. It preserves the architecture of its time.
Lost Art. The classic Post Office wall mural, “Resources of the Soil,” is authentic New Deal art by an important American artist. It should stay in its natural home. If the Postal Service abandons the building, the mural will face an uncertain future and may never be seen again.
Another boarded-up building. USPS management thinks it can sell the Post Office building. But pulling the Post Office out of downtown would seriously weaken the market for downtown properties, including the old Post Office building itself. The cost of remodeling it for other uses would be high, and the most likely outcome would be another empty, boarded-up building causing blight to downtown Ukiah.
Boondoggle. The USPS expects to spend $360,000 to remodel the annex to replace the downtown Post Office. This is supposed to be justified by operational savings, but the USPS refuses to release any documents and refuses to let the city inspect the building. What are they hiding? Poor decision-making.
Voices of opposition. Closure of the downtown Post Office is opposed by the City Council, the Board of Supervisors, the Chamber of Commerce, the Ukiah Main Street Program, and thousands of citizens who have signed a petition.
ADD YOUR VOICE at the Public Forum on April 21, 6:30 p.m., Ukiah Conference Center. The USPS must consider all public comments before making a final decision, which can be appealed.
If you are interested but cannot attend the meeting contact us at save@ukiahpostoffice.com. We will keep you informed.
Petitions are available next door to the Post Office at 280 N. Oak St. You may pick them up and return them there.
On April 11, Barry Vogel, of Radio Curious interviewed three members of the Save the Ukiah Post Office Committee, Ukiah Mayor, Mari Rodin, Alan Nicholson and Mike Sweeney. They discuss the community efforts to save Ukiah’s downtown post office and why. To hear that discussion click here: Saving A Downtown Post Office- Ukiah CA.
Below are links to Post Office propaganda. More will be posted soon.
Barry Vogel, for the Committee to Save the Ukiah Post Office.
McKinsey USPS Future Bus Model2.pdf
Post Office Regulations Prt 778-1.rtf
REVIEW OF FACILITY ACTIONS.pdf
Postal Service Relies on Incomplete Data, Discriminates Against Underserved Communities.
The article may be found at:
http://www.apwu.org/news/webart/2009/09-135-stations-prc-091029.htm. If not, click here.
The attached article turned up in my Googling and confirms that the Post Office is trying to close post offices without authority to do so. Of course, Congress can change the law, but until it does so the Post Office cannot legally proceed, although it's apparent it will try. (You can find a PDF-version of the article here.)
http://www.suite101.com/content/us-post-office-closures-could-add-to-une...