We've all experienced our fair share of frustration with our mail delivery from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). But temporary issues like having to deal with your deliveries being delayed by a few days or long lines at the post office could end up being the least of your problems. In fact, certain customers are now facing a change that could impact their mail service in a more permanent manner. Read on to learn more about what the USPS is getting rid of for good, as of Jan. 31.
READ THIS NEXT: USPS Is Planning This Long Dreaded Change to Your Mail, Starting Jan. 22.
The USPS has made many temporary changes to its service this year.
ShutterstockThe USPS has not shied away from making adjustments to its operations this year. It's worth noting, however, that many of the changes have been short-lived.
In the spring, the Postal Service temporarily withdrew delivery service from several cities across the U.S. amid a number of animal attacks on mail carriers. Then in July, the agency had to halt operations at its Processing and Distribution Center in St. Louis, Missouri, because of flooding. More recently, a number of post offices in the country have been temporarily closed "due to safety concerns" as the USPS works on making repairs to various facilities.
But now, the agency is planning a more permanent change.
The USPS is getting rid of this for good.
ShutterstockCertain customers will be saying goodbye to their postal facility in the new year.
A Postal Service spokesperson confirmed on Nov. 15 that the post office in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, will be permanently shuttered in 2023, according to MLTnews. The news outlet previously reported on March 31 that the postal agency is set to lose its ownership of the building.
"The owner of the property where the Mountlake Terrace Post Office is located is not interested in renewing the lease," USPS spokesperson Ernie Swanson told MLTnews in March. According to Swanson, the current lease is up on Jan. 31, and the Postal Service will have to move out by the beginning of Feb. 2023.
The Mountlake Terrace Post Office does not have a space to relocate to.
ShutterstockIn March, Swanson told MLTnews that the Postal Service would start searching for a new location for the Mountlake Terrace facility in order for residents in the area to continue to "conduct postal business." According to the news outlet, Mountlake Terrace residents started receiving postcards in the mail this month, notifying them that the USPS is proposing to move the post office.
But while the Postal Service says it's planning to relocate the Mountlake Terrace Post Office to "a building of approximately 3,100 square feet" within the same ZIP code that "will maintain the same level of service as the current location," the search has not yet been fruitful.
"Unfortunately, a location has not been selected at this time," USPS spokesperson Lecia Hall told MLTnews on Nov. 15. "The postcards being distributed are a way for the community to send their comments about the proposed relocation."
Another post office is also permanently closing soon after.
iStockThe Mountlake Terrace Post Office is not the only facility facing a real estate problem. On Nov. 7, the USPS issued a news release announcing that it will be suspending service at the post office in Big Sky, Montana, next year. This facility is a Contract Postal Unit (CPU), and the current provider has decided to terminate its contract with the Postal Service after recent negotiations. As a result, the agency said it "will be forced to close this CPU," effective Feb. 28.
The USPS has also been searching for an alternate location for the Big Sky Post Office has well. "The Postal Service is willing to work with local businesses in the area to explore viable options for another CPU," the agency said. "We recognize that with many of our resort offices, seasonal volumes and populations can be a challenge, however, it is our full intention to provide service at another, yet undetermined location. We do not anticipate any interruption to mail service."
