Written by Here is a recent email chain started by former Renton Councilwoman Theresa Zimmerman, a North Renton resident. ( Her note is on the bottom of the message, and a response from our Alex Pietsch, our Economic Development Director, is above it.)
I agree with Theresa and Alex that we should do whatever we can to keep this post office (as well as the one in Fairwood).
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From: Alexander Pietsch
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 4:24:37 PM
To: ”Theresa Zimmerman
Cc: Suzanne Dale Estey; Jennifer Davis Hayes; Denis Law; Jay B Covington;
Council; Julia Medzegian
Subject: RE: Downtown Post Office
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Ms. Zimmerman,
Thank you for your email. Please let me first say that we could not agree with you more. We are very concerned about the potential relocation of the Downtown Post Office and are working hard to try to find a way to influence the Post Office’s decision. Unfortunately, this process is somewhat difficult to understand. The USPS is a quasi-Federal entity and has a lot of authority to do what it wants to do without consulting the City.
On a positive note, in our limited conversations with them they have assured us that:
1) Even if they were to close the post office as we know it, they would maintain a smaller “retail” branch where you could still mail a letter/package, have a PO Box, etc (They just are contemplating consolidation of the mail sorting and distribution functions). This would not be a post office within another business. It would be a full service post office, but in a smaller space, without all of the back office operations they currently have Downtown.
2) There will be some kind of public process before any final decisions are made. We will be watching this closely and intend to stay on it.
Meanwhile, your support for Renton’s Downtown is much appreciated.
—–Original Message—–
From: ‘Theresa Zimmerman
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 2:30 PM
To: Alexander Pietsch
Subject: Downtown Post Office
Dear Mr. Pietsch,
I am sending to you comments that I made online at the Renton Reporter regarding the possible closure, relocation of the United States Post Office in downtown Renton. I would like to be informed when any meetings concerning this issue arise.
“As a resident of North Renton, one who encourages people to do business in the Downtown whenever possible, I am dismayed to see that an anchor such as The United States Postal Service branch on Williams Ave. is under consideration for a possible action of some type, I read “relocate”.
The term used to discuss the idea of changes to a heretofore icon of stability “in play” sounds as if we are involved in a sporting event , when in reality we are engaged in some serious community building and standard of living issues. Why on earth would I want to drive to NE 4th, an incredibly busy arterial, to post a package or conduct official postal business when presently I can walk 5 minutes down the street and accomplish that task? Why would anyone? The more errands or tasks that I can do at one time in the Downtown area the longer I stay there, the more likely I am to eat there, shop etc.
The City of Renton has gone to great lengths, and I applaud them, to create and maintain an environment friendly toward residents in the traditional city proper. We have many lovely new multi-family housing units, we have residents maintaining and upgrading and in some cases building single family dwellings. It is beyond ridiculous to support these efforts to get people to locate in the downtown community and then to pull the rug out from under them by moving basic and local services such as the USPS branch somewhere else.
Currently due at least in part to the unusual economic times my neighborhood is reeling from the loss of grocery stores, retail outlets, restaurants, and the like; I can only wonder, what retail outlet would the post office relocate to? How on earth would the Postal Service guarantee it’s availability to residents in the case of failure of the retail merchant? When you consider the costs of keeping a branch open, consider the costs of keeping a retail merchant open in order to keep the post office functioning!
It is not as if government services such as the post office are trends or whims, they are fundamental core services and the work done there carries with it serious legal ramifications.
Get a grip, do not pull up anchor, we in the downtown need the ready accessibility of core services and yes even some symbolic sign of stability in these unnerving times.”
Thank you for your attention,
Theresa Zimmerman
Renton, WA 98057
The fact of the matter is that the USPS really needs to re-evaluate how it plans to stay viable into the future. I just don’t see it being viable (or extremely relevant) 10 years down the road. While I do understand that it provides an extremely valuable service to rural areas, perhaps that’s where it needs to focus, leaving the more urban areas to a privatized entity.
USPS used to get by with postage from junk mail — catalogs, weekly grocery ads, and credit card spam. Sometimes we can go several days between receiving this junk, and most of it goes straight into the shred pile. I don’t think that I am an anomaly here.
While it would be a loss to have the post offices close, I’m just not quite sure why people are so attached to them. How frequently do you REALLY have to go to the post office? If closing the non-performing branches — just as any business would do — reduces costs enough where they don’t have to raise postage quite as frequently, that’s a really good thing. Real estate is too valuable to have an ugly, poorly maintained government building in our downtown core. That’s certainly not the highest and best use of that property.
SPAM Saves the USPS
I give the post office support in the following way:
When I receive mail spam or junk mail, with a postage paid return envelope. I place some trash paper neatly folded inside with a little note saying “Thank you for supporting our US Postal Service during their time of need. Please recycle the contents.”
Then I send it back to the junk mailer.
If the Renton office closes, someone who really knows about these things told me that everybody in who is used to getting their mail when it snows will no longer get it as reliably.
By forcing the route drivers to pickup their vans up in the highlands office – it will force them to shave off several hours of time from their route, or perhaps skip their routes entirely when the snow hits the ground and becomes too much to drive their personal vehicles in.
I wouldn’t blame the workers at all – it’s not safe driving up that hill at least several times a year.
We live on the hill, and I’m assuming our mail comes from the post office on 4th — this past winter, mail showed up every day except for maybe one.
That being said, I’d rather miss delivery a day or two per year (the junk mail can pile up — who cares?) than have an inefficient branch driving up the costs to mail letters.
Downtown Renton Post Office
Hi Randy,
What a surprise I had when web-surfing this morning!
In order that when and if the topic of the downtown Renton post-office comes up again I am somewhat more knowledgable I have been doing a little online research. I have two useful links to share that give a general perspective on the USPS situation. I thought the information might be useful to others.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/consumerawareness/a/uspsabout.htm
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/03/23/daily60.html
Certainly the USPS does have fiscal issues, it has advancing technology issues, logistics, you name it, it is grappling with it.
My primary concern is how the loss of traditional structure and core service in a community causes disconnects in the community itself. Disconnect that I would like to help prevent if possible.
Theresa Zimmerman
Re: Downtown Renton Post Office
“My primary concern is how the loss of traditional structure and core service in a community causes disconnects in the community itself.”
How does this cause a disconnect in the community? Are you really sending letters and postcards to your neighbors?
My only connection with the post office is when I either a) have to go to buy stamps, b) walk to the mailbox in the evening and grab the mail, or c) use the postal robot in the lobby (the greatest invention in the history of the post office).
If you want the post office to have a traditional structure, stick the mail carriers on the back of horses. Of course then Ben would be complaining about the horse pucky on his street. 🙂
I have very little sympathy for those who feel that it is critical to have a post office within 5 minutes of their home. If you want to subsidize the operations, I’m sure that they would accept a donation. I don’t want to pay for their inefficiency, though.
Re: Downtown Renton Post Office
>>Of course then Ben would be complaining about the horse pucky on his street. 🙂
I need that manure! Where do you think I get my ideas?