The local US Post Office at Western and 3rd may indeed be closed – but local residents will still have a dedicated 90004 post office, just in a new location.
Diligent St Andrews Square resident Henrietta Cosentino wrote quite a few emails, and finally got word on the rumor that the Nat King Cole station would close sometime this spring. Richard Maher, Corporate Communications for USPS in Santa Ana, clarified that although delivery operations will be moving to Los Feliz, the USPS will still have a retail and PO Box presence within the 90004 area. Evidently the current location, accessed via Manhattan Place, is larger than it needs to be and on a valuable piece of real estate for the broke postal service. Mr Maher explains in an email (excerpted here):
This is not a closure, but a relocation, and that is why it is not on the list of proposed closures submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission.
The Postal Service is in a financial crisis and is considering every possibility to consolidate operations nationwide. Many facilities have excess capacity and wasted space. By consolidating operations we gain efficiency, reduce costs and generate much needed cash when a building can be sold.
In the case of Nat King Cole Station, it may be feasible to relocate letter carriers to Los Feliz Station which has excess capacity. This move of delivery operations would be transparent to the community and have no impact on service. The proposed plans also call for a smaller space for Nat King Cole public retail service as close to the current location as possible. There would be no loss of services to the local community.
The Postal Service follows an established public notification and input process for relocations that will involve the local community and Neighborhood Councils.
The first step when we propose to relocate a public service facility is always to notify our employees of our intent. As we move forward, a public meeting will be scheduled to share our proposed plans and receive input from the community. We will also accept written public comments for at least 30 days before a final decision is made. Notification of the meeting and where to submit written comments will be posted in the Nat King Cole Post Office lobby, placed in all PO Boxes and shared with media, local municipalities and elected officials.
Thankfully, we won’t have to trek all the way to Los Feliz to mail a package. The news also opens the question of development of the large corner site that shares the block with St Brendan School. Let’s hope something positive will happen on the site – like a nice small-sized fresh food market that residents have been dreaming of for years?
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