USPS Fields Questions At Public Forum

By Nancy K. Crevier

For an hour and a half Thursday evening, March 5, William Moncrief, United States Postal Service (USPS) real estate specialist for the Northeast facilities service office, fielded questions concerning the process for procuring an alternative site for the recently closed Hawleyville Post Office from a mostly cordial crowd of nearly 100 gathered in the C.H. Booth Library meeting room.

Before he opened the floor to questions from the audience, which included Newtown First Selectman Joe Borst, former state representative and community supporter Mae Schmidle, and Stephanie Podewell from Congressman Christopher Murphy’s office, Mr Moncrief presented the standard USPS procedure that must be followed in acquiring a new site for a post office.

Also in attendance to answer questions were Hawleyville Postmaster Mark Favale, and Guy Polacco, manager of postal operations in Fairfield County.

Mr Moncrief was adamant in clarifying that the Hawleyville Post Office had never been a candidate for discontinuation, and as the USPS has asserted over the past three years, the Route 25 facility was never slated for closing. “It’s a suspension of services, a temporary closing,” he emphasized. The USPS has explored different proposals for the renovation or replacement of the Hawleyville Post Office over the years, said Mr Moncrief. “For various reasons, agreement couldn’t be reached [with the landlord, Housatonic Railroad]. We negotiated through December and came to an impasse,” he said, and it was at that point that the Postal Service opted for a suspension of service, moving the operations temporarily to Commerce Road in Newtown as of February 17.

Mr Moncrief also noted that the Hawleyville Post Office project was the only one in the region going forward at this time. “We were lucky to get an exemption to the USPS freeze on spending for new building,” he told the crowd.

The Community Contact Process follows a strict code of regulations, all of which are designed to ensure an adequate amount of time for public opinion and to make sure that the facility selected will best serve all of the Hawleyville community, Mr Moncrief said.

The first step required is a meeting with town officials, he explained. That step was taken on February 10, when Mr Moncrief met with Newtown First Selectman Joe Borst. At that meeting, the men discussed that the replacement facility should remain within a one-mile circumference of the former post office site, a statement that later in the meeting was amended by Mr Borst in response to audience comments that the new facility should remain as close as possible to the original site. “When I gave Mr Moncrief the option of a one to two mile radius, I didn’t understand that I could opt for ‘in the vicinity,’” stated Mr Borst.

Hearing the desires of those at the meeting, he therefore withdrew his initial suggestion from February 10 regarding the ideal search area for a site, he said. Mr Borst then added, “If it was my vote right now, I’d go right to the Barnabas Road facility and save a lot of time,” referring to a local developer’s building project felt by many present to be the preferred location.

In noting that the formal USPS process offered a chance for private enterprises to submit proposals, Mr Moncrief said that what he heard was that the community “wants new facilities to be offered within the Hawleyville area. Is that a better way to say it?”

 The second step of the process is a public meeting, “And that is what we are doing here, tonight,” said Mr Moncrief. Normally, at this point, there would be many questions to be addressed such as how the move affects the carriers, or if the present site can be expanded upon, but in the case of the Hawleyville Post Office, “We are beyond those usual questions already. We are actively looking for a replacement facility and not really in a scoping process,” he said.

Then, not sooner than 15 days from the public meeting, the USPS must run an ad in the local paper for offers for new facilities. “We will be casting a wide net,” said Mr Moncrief, explaining that the USPS would consider offers to build new; for a site already in the process of being built; or for a building that could be renovated.

Once those site offers are reviewed, Mr Moncrief will report back to the first selectman with the results of the canvassing. For the next 30 days following that, Mr Moncrief will receive comments from the public, then post a list of the first, second, and third choices of the USPS. The results will be posted at the Commerce Road Newtown Post Office, he said.

Another 30 days for public response then follows.

At that point, the USPS will make a decision on the favored site and post that decision, followed by another 30 days for an appeal process.

In all, said Mr Moncrief, he expects the process to take at least 120 days. But when he expressed his opinion that “My experience is that the 120 days is over like that,” the audience erupted with disgruntled murmurings.

Time Passes

“I’m upset that you think three years hasn’t been a lot of time already,” said Bethel resident Cornelia Baker, who has used the Hawleyville Post Office for many years. “It’s a pain in the neck to drive to Newtown to get my mail.”

Brookfield resident and business owner Elizabeth Talian said that the move to Commerce Road was in inconvenience that she would like to see be as brief as possible. “If I went to Commerce Road, it would mean more than 26 miles a day for my mail pickup,” she said. Ms Talian has decided on a temporary change of address to the Brookfield Post Office due to the inconvenience.

In response to several questions requesting the USPS expedite this formal process and fulfill the February 4 statement by USPS district manager for the Connecticut district Ed Phelan that “the Postal Service is hopeful for late summer occupancy in its new location,” Mr Moncrief reiterated, “I can only tell you what’s involved. It all takes a period of time. Some things are in our control, but others are not in our control.” A year would not be an unreasonable projection for the completion of the process, he said.

When asked if the first selectman could expedite the process somehow, Mr Moncrief replied that while he had never had that happen, he would not rule out the possibility. The process is set up to enable input of the general public, he reminded those present. “People will talk to their selectmen, talk to us, and come to public meetings like this,” said Mr Moncrief. “Ask your selectman to write to the USPS and ask if they are willing to speed up the process. I can’t promise anything, though,” he added.

Design With History

In Mind

Many attendees brought up the design and location of a new Hawleyville Post Office, emphasizing that the post office’s 165-year presence in Hawleyville added a historic component to the facility that should not be overlooked when selecting a new site or design. They asked that the historic feel to the post office be taken into consideration.

“There is a lot of history in Hawleyville,” said Mae Schmidle, addressing the presenters. “It is an important part of who we are and what we are. It is important when thinking about replacing the post office that you need to stay in keeping with our ambiance that reflects our community that we are all so proud of,” she said.

Her statement was met with a round of applause, as was the statement by First Selectman Borst, who reminded those present that, “It was a real sad day when we lost our post office in Sandy Hook and moved to that abomination in Newtown. I would hate to see [the Hawleyville Post Office] move into a building like they have in Botsford. What we’re saying is we want to go to Barnabas Road.”

The Barnabas Road property mentioned several times during the March 5 forum is located at 23 Barnabas Road. Mick Consalvos of Tower Realty was on hand to represent the developer of that property, Steve Nicolosi. “Mr Nicolosi has been working on this for two years and gone to great extents to engineer the building to accommodate a post office,” Mr Consalvos told the group. The building and previous negotiations with the USPS as to configuration of the space and requirements of the USPS has reached the point, added Mr Consalvos, that “We could have the USPS up and in there by May 15.”

That building’s design, said several present, is far more in keeping with the historic nature of the area, as well as being conveniently located close to the original post office site and with easy access to Exit 9 off of Interstate 84.

While appreciative of the quick response by the USPS to reschedule the original public forum postponed by the March 2 snowstorm, many in the audience expressed frustration that the agency insists on going through a formal process even while virtually being handed a viable site at Barnabas Road.

Declaring the need for an “emergency reopening,” one speaker urged the USPS to take into consideration the distress on the area if it must embrace an extended time without the Hawleyville Post Office.

“The process is set up to ensure all considerations,” repeated Mr Moncrief. “I hope we can get you a nice facility that most will be happy with. I’m confident we are going to move forward. Knowing what I do about the opportunities that have already been put forward, I feel we will be successful,” he said. He also assured the audience that the popular Hawleyville Post Office staff consisting of postmaster Mark Favale and clerks Laura Smolen and Rich Ruscitto would “come along with the new building.”

 “I thought the meeting went very well,” said Newtown resident Melanie Drohan, a member of the Save Hawleyville Post Office committee. “It was very positive. We shared a lot of good information and I think we will get this a little sooner because of this grassroots operation.”

“I thought it was an excellent meeting,” agreed Dorothy Dwyer, as the crowd dispersed. “I was thrilled with the number of people here tonight and thought Bill [Moncrief] did a great job. Joe Borst was fabulous to stand up and speak out. I think we’ll get the post office,” she said.

Helga Ruopp was a little more hesitant in her assessment of the meeting. “Every year this comes up — fixing the post office. It’s a swan song that keeps repeating itself. I take everything with a grain of salt,” confessed Ms Ruopp. “Until I actually see things happen, well, actions speak a thousand words.”

Ann Marie Mitchell, the head of the Save Hawleyville Post Office committee, said that she hoped the meeting was setting a tone of welcome and collaboration with the USPS. Weekly updates on the process will be posted at the savehawleyvillepo.com website.