The U.S. Postal Service plans to announce its final selection for a permanent location in New Canaan within two to three weeks, officials say.
The cottage at 121 Park St. is owned by Elm Street Partners LLC, also property owners of Mrs. Green’s and Oxygen buildings on Pine Street. This location is a proposed new Post Office location, one of two that USPS is looking at right now in New Canaan. Credit: Michael Dinan
Owners of both properties in the running—16-18 Locust Ave. and 121 Park St.—are aware that the federal agency is still negotiating as details are worked out, according to Christine Dugas, a USPS spokesperson.
“We are hoping to reach a conclusion in the next few weeks,” she said. “Both are still under consideration, but we are hoping to finalize the process and make an announcement in two to three weeks.”
USPS on Feb. 6 announced the two finalists for a permanent location and opened a 30-day comment period intended to gather up any objections to either property. No comments were received during the period, which now is over, Dugas said.
Asked about the matter, First Selectman Rob Mallozzi confirmed that he had received an email Wednesday afternoon from USPS saying that no comments had come in from town residents regarding the Locust Avenue or Park Street locations, and that a final decision between those properties would come in about two weeks.
18 Locust Ave. is one of two sites in New Canaan that the U.S. Post Office is eyeing for a future, long-term home. It sold Feb. 27 for Locust Avenue Property Selected by Post Office as Finalist for Permanent New Canaan Location Sells for $1,125,000. Credit: Michael Dinan
“By receipt of this [USPS] email I am comforted to know that a decision is close at hand that will once again provide what I believe will be a long term, viable and convenient location for postal services in the town of New Canaan, and thus end a the hardship of a temporary Post Office location in the near future.
A poll on NewCanaanite.com showed readers divided roughly equally between the properties.
Environmental impacts, parking and especially truck maneuverability are major criteria for USPS, she said. See this article for a summary of why some proposed locations had been rejected by USPS.
One owner of the Park Street property—the same company that had been the Post Office’s last landlord in its longtime home at Pine and Park, now Mrs. Green’s, said key advantages of the Park Street property include parking, traffic flow and the site’s proven workability for both the federal agency and town residents.
The other candidate, on Locust roughly opposite Joe’s Pizza, was sold two weeks ago for $1,125,000. The property’s new owner declined to comment when reached by NewCanaanite.com, citing ongoing negotiations.
The Post Office’s current lease at 90 Main St.—which has proven to be a difficult location for parking in the downtown, a problem that the soon-to-reopen Town Hall is expected to exacerbate—expires in the spring, officials have said. Town, business and government leaders met in November with U.S. Post Office officials to help facilitate the identification of a workable long-term location in New Canaan.
No comments because I think most of the Town thinks that neither location is perfect and the lack of parking might be an issue. lets get the Post Office committed somewhere in Town