LIHUE — The United States Postal Service on Thursday posted notices at the Lihue Post Office announcing its proposal to officially close the Hanamaulu Station facility. The Hanamaulu branch post office was destroyed by a fire that swept the 116-year-old
LIHUE — The United States Postal Service on Thursday posted notices at the Lihue Post Office announcing its proposal to officially close the Hanamaulu Station facility.
The Hanamaulu branch post office was destroyed by a fire that swept the 116-year-old Hanamaulu Trading Company building on Dec. 14, 2012.
The outlet was already on a list of potential post office closings since July 2011. The decision was put on hold until May to review community input, and the decision was postponed again following the fire.
“The Hanamaulu Station has been closed since the December fire that destroyed the building housing the postal facility,” said Post Office spokesman Duke Gonzales. “The lease with the owner of the Hanamaulu Trading Co. had been suspended since the fire.”
The notice is an invitation for customers to provide feedback during a 60-day comment period that will end on Aug. 12, Gonzales said. A final determination as to the future of that facility will follow.
“The earliest that the post office would consider closing the facility would be 30 days after posting the final determination, Gonzales said. “This would be approximately Sept. 12.”
The mailing address to send comments about the proposed Hanamaulu closure is: Janice Shimizu, 3600 Aolele Street, Honolulu, HI 96820-9998.
The decision to propose closing the Hanamaulu Station is a follow up to the 2011 assessment that included a community meeting and input about the possible closure and options to keep it open including building or relocating to a new location after the fire.
The assessment came as the Postal Service closed stations around the country in response to its financial crisis brought about by the recession. The rapid adoption of electronic forms of communication and commerce were also partly responsible, Gonzales said.
“We’re exploring every possible way to increase efficiencies and reduce costs,” he said.
The post office Expanded Access study is turning to retail-replacement options called Village Post Offices to sell stamps and offer flat-rate packaging. They do not offer full-service or post office boxes, however, and the Hanamaulu closure would leave Lihue Post Office at 4441 Rice Street as the only full-service station for the 96766 ZIP code.
The review of potential closings across the country looked at customer use, revenue, impact to community and employees, and proximity to other postal locations. Since the beginning of the Hanamaulu assessment, the Postal Service said it has looked to nearby businesses to partner and become a Contract Postal Unit facility.
“The good news is that on June 10, a new Contract Postal Unit opened within a business called Nate’s Freight Services, located at 2956 Aukele Street in Lihue,” he said. “This CPU has ample parking and will be open six days a week, including most holidays.
The other Lihue CPU is at 4495 Puhi Road in addition to the Lihue Main Post Office.
