Marcums File Appeal on Post Office Closing
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While one couple is appealing the decision to close the downtown post office, the village of Pinehurst is working to get another tenant in the building.
John and Bettye Marcum have filed a petition with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC)
seeking a review of the U.S. Postal Service’s determination to close the downtown post office.
The Marcums contend, among other things, that the Postal Service failed to consider the effect of the closing on the community and didn’t follow legal procedures regarding closures.
“What we have asked for, to be clear, is a petition for review and suspension of the closing,” said John Marcum, who is running for mayor. “They may respond to that. They may not. They may go ahead with the appeal and keep the post office locked. We just don’t know.”
While the Marcums are intent on keeping postal operations downtown, the village of Pinehurst is moving foward with efforts to help find a retail tenant for the building.
“We are trying to move forward as quickly as we can to get another party in there,” Village Manager Andy Wilkison said. “We are trying to do what we can to get people talking to the Postal Service.”
Wilkison said he is aware of at least one business owner who has expressed interest in the building, and that person has been in contact with the Postal Service.
“We’ve also been in touch with several out-of-town entities about possibly occupying the property,” he said.
Wilkison said there has also been talk about the village buying the building, but that appears unlikely. He would not talk specifically about any possible occupants other than to say the village hopes the new tennant would be a retail business that draws people downtown.
The downtown post office building has about 5,000 square feet and has a tax evaluation of $659,450. The post office closed Aug. 19 and its services were consolidated with the postal facility on Blake Boulevard.
The U.S. Postal Service plans to close or consolidate more than 3,600 post offices nationwide. Postal officials have cited a “dire financial situation” as a reason for the closures.
According to a report to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Postal Service reported a net loss of $2.6 billion in the first half of this fiscal year.
The Marcums filed their appeal Aug. 12, and it was received Aug. 18, according to documents on the PRC website.
The Postal Service must now file the applicable administrative record with the PRC by Sept. 2. In addition, the due date for any responsive pleadings by the Postal Service to the notice of petition is also Sept. 2.
By statute, the PRC is required to issue its decision within 120 days from the date it received the appeal, which would be Dec. 12 in this case. The PRC also designated Malin Moench as a public representative for the Marcums.
The Marcums’ appeal was one of 50 listed as having been filed, according to the PRC website.
In their appeal, the Marcums contend:
- The notice of closure is flawed by not including a 60-day advance notice during which arguments and objections could be made and that the required notification of the right to file a petition for review and the provisions for doing so were not provided.
- The analysis used to show a $66,000 cost savings to the Postal Service was “revealed to be seriously flawed.”
- The economic impact, including the loss of more than 1,000 residents coming to the downtown post office daily, wasn’t considered.
- The economic and historic impacts on the village, which is a National Historic Landmark, were not properly weighed as required under Section 106 of the Historic Protection Act, which applies to the Postal Service since it is a federal agency.
- The Postal Service failed to apply under Section 106 to the historical authorities of the National Park Service (NPS) and the N.C. State Historic Preservation Office.
- The installation of mailboxes on the curbs of the streets would be an invasion of the village landscape and Olmsted’s design.
- It is unclear whether the newer post office on Blake Boulevard, erected in the early 1990s, was coordinated and approved under Section 106.
Marcum said that fact that the downtown post office is a historic building in Pinehurst’s National Historic District is key to the appeal.
“I think the reason this action is going forward is this post office is a nationally historic landmark,” Marcum said, “and as I pointed out to them (PRC), no national landmark post office has ever been closed in the United States because they are considered critical to the National Landmark District.”
Contact Tom Embrey at tembrey@thepilot.com.
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Comments
Arestorer 1 year, 9 months ago
I thought you were all for growth and progress...........At any cost.(Trees,Buildings)
Interested 1 year, 9 months ago
I wonder how the Marcums feel about the national deficit?
johnmarcum 1 year, 9 months ago
"It's too damn high." Visit marcumformayor.com. and join our effort to restore fiscal discipline, while preserving Pinehurst as we know it.
Interested 1 year, 9 months ago
I imagine there are a number of towns that want to preserve life as they know it. Just this summer WRAL reported on similar efforts to save a "piece of history" in downtown Raleigh. But multiply the costs for each such town out - paying to preserve outdated locations is contributing to our fiscal problems.
johnmarcum 1 year, 9 months ago
Surprisingly, there are few costs to Historic Preservation and major benefits, principally branding and growing a resort destination. The private and commercial sector preserves and protects the buildings and the limited costs are the tax credits they receive for it. The twin pillars of our historic status and our status as US Home of Golf have contributed in a major way to our success and remarkable growth, and is pulling the rest of the county along with it.
Sean 1 year, 9 months ago
Looks like a perfect spot to open a mail boxes etc. or something similar.
2centsworth 1 year, 9 months ago
The article states that the Marcums are one of 50 who filed petitions with the PRC but why were none of the other people mentioned? Could it be because none of the others are running for mayor? Who do you think is going to take credit if the Postal Service reverses the closing of the post office? The 49 other people that filed petitions and who were not mentioned or the one that was? Great political ploy!!
Sean 1 year, 9 months ago
Oh SNAP!! You really busted the Marcums 2! Great political analysis!!
If Bill Clinton and 20 of his childhood friends from Ark attended a play, would the news mention Roy the guy who sat next to Bill in the second grade?
johnmarcum 1 year, 9 months ago
I'm not that clever. I'm curious, who do you think should get credit?
molonlabe 1 year, 9 months ago
good luck with that
Easygoing 1 year, 9 months ago
And if the Village was so concerned with the closing, why didn't the Village Council file any appeal or take any action?
ncsnafu1 1 year, 9 months ago
@Easygoing: The Village Council didn't file an appeal because they determined that they couldn't do it. It's a shame that they didn't speak with the same folks as John did otherwise they would have found that they could file just as easily as John did. Wrt the others that filed appeals, their names were not listed in the Pilot for the simple reason that they were not the first to file.
Tom_Embrey 1 year, 9 months ago
To be clear, The other 49 filings involved other post offices across the U.S. not the one here in Pinehurst.
TooHot 1 year, 9 months ago
A restaurant would be a HUGE hit there. Right Hunter?
Bflat 1 year, 8 months ago
Now, that was funny !
buddysmith 1 year, 9 months ago
again, is the building considered the historic landmark, or the post office that was there? Sean was right, above, a perfect place for a ups store which also handles and boxes mal for their customers. the postal service is being asked to keep 2 post offices open within 2 miles of each other for a small community?? does Mr Marcum ever complain about high stamp prices???
ztech 1 year, 9 months ago
buddysmith, when the new po was built on Blake Rd, Pinehurst had 4000 people, now it has nearly 16000, th largest in the county. So maybe there's business enough for two. In fact, the village office actually is profitable. The USPS claims a savings of 66,000 dollars by closing it, but it turns out their analysis assume all box holders transfer out to blake rd and continue to pay for the box rentals, (about 150 thou) with no added costs for streetside delivery. It looks like half or so are giving up their boxes and taking street delivery. So, when adjusted for this, the PO calculations show a loss of over 100 thousand yearly from closing. Only a government agency would want to close the profitable stations and keep the losers.
Interested 1 year, 9 months ago
Greensboro, population of nearly 270,000, manages with 14 post offices. One for every 19,285 people. It appears that, despite a fourfold increase in citizens, Pinehurst should be able to manage with one post office.
ztech 1 year, 9 months ago
Oh, good thinking. So, the Village station should be closed even though it's making a profit and brings a thousand people a day into the village's historic district?.
Interested 1 year, 9 months ago
Not picking an argument, just looking for where your information comes from. For example, "the village office actually is profitable." Or "their analysis assume all box holders . . . continue to pay for the box rentals." Where is this information available?
buddysmith 1 year, 9 months ago
post offices are not suppose to be profitable, yet they are not suppose to lose money either. having 2 post offices so close to each other was insane, and a waste of money. the old PO should have been shut down when the new one was completed. the new one was needed for the population increase in Pinehurst and also because there was no room to park at the old one. if the downtown area depended on the same people that went in and out of the old PO everyday, they were in trouble anyway!!! maybe MR Marcum should thank the USPS for building the new one, instead of complaining about the old one!!
ztech 1 year, 9 months ago
Grab hold, Buddy. Common sense is needed to get you through this.. Try this, let's keep all profitable POs open and close all money losing ones. Wouldn't that make sense to you or is there something clouding your vision like wanting to build windmills.
buddysmith 1 year, 9 months ago
again, no post offices are suppose to be profitable, as a whole, revenue, or the sale of postage, suppose to equal costs. a basic accounting formula zeke. the old post office did not generate enough revenue to warrant its continued operation, especially with a brand new one so close to it, that is paying for itself! by the way, according to your brillance, the usps closed the old post office, which could not generate enough revenue to justify its operation, and shifted the operation to the new one. so why dont you just say sorry, i stand corrected!
buddysmith 1 year, 8 months ago
they did they closed the old post office in Pinehurst that was losing money!! does that make sense or are you still cloudy??
ztech 1 year, 9 months ago
delete
PBinNC 1 year, 9 months ago
It seems to me that a business losing $2.6 billion or whatever it is should not be expected to keep something open for the sake of a gathering place. Although I live in Southern Pines, with a very old post office and no special parking for customers, I often drive to the beautiful post office off Route 5 in Pinehurst. Unlike many people today, I actually buy a lot of stamps and mail a lot of items, because I like to receive first class mail along with the tons of junk mail. I think the idea of private enterprise opening a Mail boxes or something like that is a great idea, Sean. Some seem to forget that there are still many very rural areas in this country with one small post office that may not be "profitable" but if closed would require customers to drive very long distances for any postal service. It's not a long drive from downtown Pinehurst to the post office on Blake Drive. I don't understand the "logic" in a building being an historic item, but what goes on inside it is also? What about historic buildings that have changed from one business to another. Do they thereby lose their historic significance? I guess it's all about Pinehurst being better than other places.
Bflat 1 year, 8 months ago
Careful now...or the "you ain't from 'round here" fan club will chide in. Pinehurst is very rich in history and is considered a resort. It is far from being mediocre and posses a uniqueness of the village and its surrounding areas that one doesn't find elsewhere. It is a small village that has grown over time.
MooreNorth 1 year, 8 months ago
I was with ya, till you said unionized. Bad word round here.
MooreNorth 1 year, 8 months ago
That was then, this is now. They have no useful purpose today. What they are good at is creating jobs....over seas.
buddysmith 1 year, 8 months ago
define wastefull and ineffecient, the USPS is a SERVICE for the people, some times it loses money, but in years past it has earned money. problem is the USPS is suppose to be run like a non-profit service for the people of America. It is handcuffed by government regulations that prevents it from making business decisions to counter gains or losses in a given year. The only advantage to having a UPS store there at the old PO, is having the ability to box customers mail, which could still be routed there.
ztech 1 year, 8 months ago
Right on, when Congress privatized USPS, it required that it continue to provide "universal service" no matter how remote the location, and it can't raise its rates without a ruckus, even though they're less than a tenth of what UPS and Fedex charge. So, there's no chance for a system wide profit. It'll be closed in a few years and the internet will rule for mail delivery.
buddysmith 1 year, 8 months ago
the usps is not privatized, but when it is get ready to pay two dollars for a stamp to send a card to your niece buffy , if the area she lives in is even delivered too.(read what happen in NEW Zealand after their Postal Service was privitized) and how can the internet deliver the packages you order if it replaces the USPS??? the USPS is actually keeping down the shipping costs at FED-EX and UPS right now, so they can stay competetive. No Post Office, that medication you were paying 14 dollars for through FED-Ex once a month will now be 22.00. It is amazing to me how little some of the public actually knows about how and exactly what the Postal Service is?? Did you know that about 35% of the packages that are delivered by the USPS originated with and were actually originally mailed through FED-EX and UPS? They remail the packages through the USPS and keep the difference which is by far cheaper than their own rates!
pinehurstmom 1 year, 8 months ago
Oh wow a mayoral candidate who is pulling a political stunt to get attention and wants to waste federal dollars on a post office with such limited hours that it is clearly not needed!! Gee no question about how I will be voting!
ncsnafu1 1 year, 8 months ago
@pinehurstmom: Did you really read the many concerns cited in Mr. Marcum's appeal especially the fourth which referenced that the USPS did not consider the economic and historic implications to the Village? The Old Town business area needs all the help it can get to remain viable and to close a business that brought upwards of a 1000 folks into it daily will be nothing but detrimental to the remaining merchants. Your apparent support of the Village Council, with two of its members running for mayor, that claims accomplishments such as "The Traditions", The Village Chapel expansion & paving of the VIllage Green is your own right. I, on the otherhand, would rather vote for someone that will bring a much needed change to village government.
FightFireWithFire 1 year, 8 months ago
What part of town do you live in? I have not seen any of this in the Village of Pinehurst. I had to get a permit just to put a fence up around MY BACKYARD. Maybe all the folks from "up North" with their attitudes about what THEY think people should do on THEIR property should do everyone here a favor and STAY up North.
MooreNorth 1 year, 8 months ago
SSV~What town and/or race are you talkin about?
Interested 1 year, 8 months ago
Perhaps a local town council should be considering the economic and historic implications to the village of its decisions, but not the USPS.
ncsnafu1 1 year, 8 months ago
@Stf_Sgt_Viper: Your last post does not reflect Pinehurst for the simple reason that any builder will tell you that the Pinehurst Development Ordinance (PDO) significantly over regulates building in Pinehurst. Further, there absolutely is a CO process in Pinehurst referenced in the PDO. I acknowledge that there will always be cases where someone slides a shed in to avoid a property tax increase or because it violated setback requirements.
As for your reference to maintenance of historic buildings, I absolutely agree that Pinehurst has been negligent in its maintence of the old fire station on Community Road. This is one of the reasons why the National Park Service wil almost certainly protest any sale of the old PO to any concern in which Pinehurst is involved.
AbsoluteWellness 1 year, 8 months ago
trulyscarlet 1 year, 8 months ago
I agree with your remarks about one post office, protecting real estate values, inspections & especially certificate of occupancy. I don't understand a local government that does not protect residents which s from faulty electrical wiring, fire hazards, and providing a safe living environment with a simple CEO inspection which includes the fire dept. The majority of rental dwellings we visited in Southern Pines for a family member were dumps. There needs to be something in place, controlled by the municipality for the bad landlords to ensure renters have a safe, clean environment & things in working order, non leaking roof, plumbing that works, ect. We moved back to NC after living in the NJ area for 16 years & we are very concerned with the abandoned cars in the backyards, uncut grass, overgrown shrubbery & general rubbish strewnabout like a junkyard. If people don's think it matters...try listing your home for sale and see how it affects the appraisal process. I learned up North people are proud of their properties to the point of being competitive about their yards which can be a good thing. It creates exercise, helps the nurseries & landscapers, increases your property value and the bonus is safer, lovelier neighborhoods. Perhaps this gentleman running for mayor might provide suggestions to the city council to update the rental housing codes (if any).
Bflat 1 year, 8 months ago
It's nice to see a candidate that actually cares about the Village of Pinehurst, whether it be the historic Post Office and everything else that is of concern to residents, including preserving the National Historic Landmark.. He also cares about the County and was quick to stand up with protest and serious concern regarding the JAIL project spending by TP03 because they ramrodded it through with a bond that didn't require a referendum. Certainly there are issues in Pinehurst that will need the keen watchful eye by a candidate that cares. Marcum is not a newcomer and has lived in Pinehurst practically forever and his wife born there.