Community Invited to Discuss the Fate of Hoboken's Post Offices
A meeting will take place on Tuesday night at 5 p.m. in the downtown Post office at 87 River St.
The United States Postal Service is holding its final public meeting on Tuesday night for input on whether or not Hoboken needs all its post offices.
The meeting will take place inside the lobby of the Frank Sinatra Main Post Office located at 89 River Street from 5 to 6 p.m.
Hoboken could stand to lose three post offices, according to a recent study done by the USPS.
One of the offices that could close is the west side branch on Grand street in the Southwestern corner of town. Council members Michael Russo and Tim Occhipinti—who represent the western area of town—have said that they want to keep that location open.
“If the closing occurs, it would cause extreme inconvenience to the residents of
the Third Ward," said Russo in a statement about the matter.
concerned
7:53 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thank you Michael & Tim. We need our West side Post office open. It is needed by all the residents of the 3rd & 4th wards. and other local residents. Lets keep it open.
Thanks
Lane Dastardly
8:21 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wow. Mr Russo and Mr Occhipinti said they want to keep a Post Office in or near their ward open. What good thinking. Did they check with the boss, Beth Mason? She may have some crazy scheme to close it for political gain.
HobokenOwl
8:32 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Hoboken is a mile square town. We do not need more than 2 post offices. Downtown by the Path and uptown near 14th Street should cover it. If it's too inconvenient for someone to get to one of those locations they should move into assisted living.
Redrider765
8:36 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Not sure we even need 2. Just have more people on duty at the one downtown to keep the line moving at a brisk pace and make sure more businesses sell stamps & such. People just don't mail stuff much any more and don't need the USPS like we used to.
HobokenOwl
10:49 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I agree. But I figured I'd be nice about it and leave 1 on either end of town. I personally believe that with stamps accessible at the super market, a FedEx store & UPS dropoff points all over town, there's really no reason for more than one post office at all.
Anthony
12:45 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I think closing 2 is fine. The one on Washington and 8th is by far the prime canidate to go. It makes the most sense to keep the one by PATH open. So that leaves 14th street or Grand. I would say closing Grand would cause a greater inconvience than 14th street. Most the residents up by 14th, especially in the condos have access to servcies that would leave them less inconvienenced. Closing Grand essentialy cuts off the poorer and older population of town that actually are more apt to use a physical post office location.
If it were up to me I'd ask the USPS to comprimise and take two locations and leave PATH and Grand.
Redrider765
8:33 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Most of the country gets by just fine w/o a post office 2 blocks from home. The USPS can't afford to keep all these money losing facilities open. They lose billions every year and can't afford to keep all the money losing facilities open. We don't need multiple post offices in town.
greenhaven
9:18 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
I think we need 3 - uptown,downtown and west side. Eliminating one is a no brainer - eliminating two could be a bit of a hardship, though everyone is ignoring the second half of the equation where the USPO has sad they will relace the closed post offices with kiosks around town. The reality is that we may get better more convenient service with fewer post offices and more kiosks, but that's not as convenient a political sound byte as a demand to "save our post office." In a previous story it seemed like Russo and TimO put out a press release making it sound as if this were their meeting as opposed to a Post Office meeting that they had nothing to do with other than attending. Kudos to Patch for making it clear that this meeting had nothing to do with ant "efforts" of Russo and TimO.
AJP919
9:29 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Who decides on the time of these meetings? 5:00 PM is way too early for many people and attendance will be limited.
HobokenOwl
10:51 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The people who are fighting for the post offices to be saved (elderly, infirm & post office workers) are available at 5pm. People who work full time and pay the taxes that go towards keeping the Post Office open can't attend. Seems about right.
Karen O'Shea
10:06 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
As a funny aside, why do we need the post offices when the VBMs get hand delivered? lol
p1ywood
10:10 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A couple of things. Basically no one with transportation issues wants the closest post office to their home closed, so really not much in terms of a debatable issue other than I would like it if the post office ran at a reasonable profit so the price of stamps wasn't creeping up so often, creating all-too-often make-up stamp issues. If that means more collection boxes in the neighborhoods and less brick and mortars, I feel that is a reasonable trade-off for a atrophying public need.
As well, AJP919 is right. Having such a meeting at 5PM is too early for most people. Conversely, unless someone is walking into that meeting with a million dollar subsidy check, I doubt the post office is going to put much weight in community input. Really, what unexpected issue could a person raise at such a meeting other than "I know you are losing money, which is why the branch closure is on the table, but I like/need the convenience"? My guess is the mucky-mucks at the post office already know that and are just trying to soften the blow by going through these motions. It's all part of the show.
rtrux
11:00 am on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
yup. i really like having post offices two blocks in one direction and three blocks in another from my place, but realistically i know it's a luxury in the current situation. i'd love for things to stay as is but recognize that's not economically feasible. but as greenhaven said, that's not a compelling political sound byte, so don't look to mikey russo and tim-o to be realistic. we'll be lucky to have three post offices -- uptown, downtown, west side -- and probably end up with two, but kiosks would ease the pain.
but it's all a moot point. have no fear, i hear the council minority is negotiating behind the scenes directly with the post master general and will "rescue" all our post offices, also striking a deal to get us all free shipping for the holidays and stamps bearing their images. beth mason will pull out an official, legally binding letter and announce it at the next council meeting. you just watch.
Sally McBride
12:26 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Any talk about what is going to be done with the ones they are closing? It would be nice to have a westside police sub station at the one. Then maybe we can get more cops on foot patrol in the winter. Wait, that almost makes sense. Nevermind
greenhaven
1:07 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The post office buildings are federal property. The federal gov't will either sell it (most likely) or develop it. Given that the reason to close the post offices is cost savings it stands to reason they will likely try to realize as much money as they can out of the closed properties.
Sally McBride
9:26 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
the spots are too small to do much with, and converting them to condos would be too expensive. I could see them "donating" them to the city (for something in return of course)
Hobbs
1:11 pm on Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Not sure if Federal property is subject to local property taxes but if they are not then the City stands to increase it's tax revenues.
HOBO87
12:48 pm on Friday, November 25, 2011
734 Washington is listed in the county tax database as owned by private individuals. I'd guess the other satellite officers are also rented by USPS, and they just own the main post office.
I also like the convenience of the satellite stations (the three are not greatly different distances from my house, it so happens, main office considerably farther), but I think we're starting on a necessary process in this country where 'I like convenience' is going to a laughable reason to provide govt services we can't afford (I know USPS is theoretically self supporting, but if it doesn't cut back, the only real alternative is public money). Govt services that have much better rationales than a convenient post office will have to be cut painfully; plus higher taxes, I'm not one of those who pretend it can be just one or the other.
concerned
9:26 pm on Sunday, November 27, 2011
River street is the main post office.So i'm sure that it will not be closed. Well I guess if they close the west side station ( which they shouldn't) they will lose the revenue the individuals who rent a P. O, Box including my self. and may I say the majority of residents in the wards who live and go to the West side station, are tax payers and are not poor. The post office's are for everyone.