The Postal Service is announcing a plan to conduct a public meeting as part of a relocation survey that may lead to the relocation of the retail finance unit in Cheraw, SC, from 248 Market St. to the carrier annex at 91 Calvary Rd. The meeting will be held on Thursday, August 23, 2012, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Cheraw Community Center, 200 Powe St.
Community input will be accepted at the meeting and submitted to the leadership of the U. S. Postal Service Eastern Facilities Service Office and the Greater South Carolina District, allowing 30 days for a decision. The decision will be sent to local officials in writing and posted in the finance unit, followed by a 30-day appeal period. Public comments may be submitted by mail until September 23, 2012 to this address:
Public Comments--Cheraw Relocation
P.O. Box 929993
Columbia, SC 29292-9993
If the decision is made to relocate the unit, the building will be sold at fair market value. Thereafter, renovations will be made to the carrier annex to provide full retail and P.O. Box service. The buyer may provide Postal retail services, including P.O. Box service, in the Market St. building by applying to operate a Village Post Office.
After full consideration of a proposal made by Cheraw city officials to sell the carrier annex and move the carriers back to the finance unit housed in temporary units, the USPS Eastern Facilities Service Office has recommended relocation for the following reasons: 1) The 7,670 sq. ft. finance unit, built as the Cheraw Post Office in 1932, is outmoded and the building and property are not conducive to expansions or renovations which would provide adequate customer access, as well as providing safety and security for the mail, trucks, vehicles and 22 employees. 2) The town is not populous enough (5,824 2010 U. S. Census) to warrant a station or branch unit 3) The 14,761 sq. ft. carrier annex, located 2.7 miles away, was designed to house complete service and can easily be renovated.
The Postal Service, which does not receive tax subsidies, is in dire economic circumstances. The agency, which is losing $25 million a day, has experienced multibillion dollar shortfalls in each of the last five years.
“We know this is disappointing for some residents who wished for the Postal Service continue to own and operate this building,” said Harry Spratlin, Communications Coordinator for the Greater SC District. “The move was economically prudent in 1998 when the carrier annex was built. However, today, considering the Postal Service’s current financial circumstances, it is imperative to scale back expenses. If the move is made, there will be no net reduction in Postal Service for the town of Cheraw. Moves such as this have been carried out in literally hundreds of towns nationwide over the years, many of them here in South Carolina, including Gaffney, Greer, Bishopville, Anderson, Batesburg and Newberry to name a few. We are proud to serve the community in Cheraw, and will continue to give the great service they are accustomed to.”
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