By Stephen Smoot
At the beginning of last September, residents of Upper Tract received notice that their Post Office would “be suspended as of the close of business on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024.”
The reason given by the United States Postal Service, an independent agency that combines elements of a business and a public service, lay in the fact that their lease had expired in their former location.
Temporary cessation of operations had no connection to the USPS “Delivering for America” program that saw the agency consolidate and close some of its operations centers last year.
Since last October, Upper Tract postal customers have been steered toward the post office in Franklin. One issue faced by the former post office in Upper Tract, according to a post made by Mike Alt in an area Facebook news page, was that “over the years Upper Tract Post Office lost stamp revenue and mail handling due to being routed via Petersburg Post Office.”
He added, “Be patient as this is not a local decision by our local postal workers.”
Last week, the USPS announced a “potential Post Office relocation comment period” concerning service in Upper Tract.
The announcement lists two potential options for a future Post Office in Upper Tract. The first would be a “building of approximately 500 square feet with parking, or approximately 8,500 square feet of a vacant land site for the placement of a postal-owned modular building, located within two miles of the former location.”
It also stated that “The proposed new facility will maintain the same level of service.”
The announcement was posted on the Upper Tract Facebook page. Most comments offered general support for restoring a fully operational post office to Upper Tract. One commenter added praise for the staff, saying, “The ladies were so proficient.”
The U.S. Postal Service will mail a postcard to the impacted community, announcing a proposed relocation of the Upper Tract Post Office The postcard provides information about the public comment period.
The postal service is inviting comments on the proposal and request they be sent to the following address within 45 days from delivery of the postcard: United States Postal Service, ATTN: Upper Tract WV, Main Post Office Relocation, PO Box 27497, Greensboro, NC 27498-1103.
