Hawleyville Post Office

Slated For Relocation

By Nancy K. Crevier

Tom Rizzo, public affairs and communications representative for the United States Postal Service, said last week that due to concern about the safety and convenience of customers and employees, and as a temporary solution to space and other issues with the Hawleyville Post Office building on Route 25, the USPS is considering alternate locations for the facility. The USPS is not prepared at this time to announce any specific locations under consideration, he said.

“No final decisions have been made at this time,” said Mr Rizzo in an e-mail to The Newtown Bee. “We hope the situation will be clearer in 30 days or so.”

The future of the Hawleyville Post Office has been unclear for nearly two years, with rumors of imminent closure, renovations, or relocation periodically addressed by the USPS and Housatonic Railroad (HRR), who holds the lease to the building. The building is in disrepair and operates under limited space restrictions. For the past two years, local residents have expressed to the USPS a desire to see the building improved and the importance of having the post office remain in the Hawleyville section of town.

In July 2006, Mead Architect Group of New Haven, hired by HRR, presented drawings to the Newtown design board for renovations to the Hawleyville Post Office building. Since then, due to complications representatives of HRR felt could be better addressed by an outside agency, those negotiations were turned over by HRR to an unnamed developer. In March 2007, Mr Rizzo confirmed that the USPS was actively engaged in negotiations with that developer.

Mick Consalva is vice president of Tower Realty, and broker for Hawleyville Development, LLC. There has been ongoing discussions for many months with the USPS concerning a Barnabas Road property off of Route 25 as a potential space for the Hawleyville Post Office, Mr Consalva said. The property has received preliminary approval from the town for a 7,500 square foot building, Mr Consalva said, and the USPS has expressed interest in leasing 1,000 to 1,700 square feet of that building.

“I think it would be a great space for the post office and could really ease up traffic issues with a Barnabas Road entrance and exit,” Mr Consalva said. “But at this point, we have nothing concrete [with the USPS]. It is just discussions.”

The developer is waiting to receive floor plans from the USPS so that they can price out the project with contractors and then work out a lease with the USPS, Mr Consalva said. “Everyone would like to see the postal service make a commitment, of course,” he added.

Residents of Hawleyville have expressed concerns to The Newtown Bee that a temporary closure could easily become a permanent closure. Mr Rizzo has repeatedly denied that the Hawleyville Post Office would be permanently closed at a future date, stating last March that, “It is in the community’s interest and the interest of the USPS to address the issue [of the poor conditions at Hawleyville Post Office].”

The USPS remains in continuing negotiations to arrive at a solution that best meets the needs of customer and the USPS, said Mr Rizzo, but at this time, a lease has not yet been secured with the developer for a new building on the site of the current facility or at any other site.

“[The possible temporary relocation of Hawleyville Post Office] is regarded as an interim solution,” said Mr Rizzo.