WESTMINSTER — Angry customers worried they’re about to lose an important social hub are rallying to keep one of the metro area’s oldest post offices from being closed.
The Harris Park Station Postal Facility, 7262 Meade St., is one of two in the state put on a national post office hit-list, said Postal Service spokesman Al DeSarro.
The other is in Old Town Fort Collins. But that branch is probably going to be moved to a newer, smaller building in the same general area.
All the services at the Harris Park building will be transferred to Westminster’s main post office at West 105th Avenue and Federal Boulevard, almost 5 miles away.
“We lease the building on Meade Street, and with the lease ending in February, merging the operation will help us save considerably,” DeSarro said.
The Westminster branch is being looked at for closure because it lacks the mail volume to keep it economically viable, he said.
But critics of the idea say the Harris Park building is a vital part of the community culture of south Westminster.
Leading the fight is former Westminster mayor and state representative Vi June.
June has lashed out at the decision to possibly shutter the Harris Park branch in her columns in the Westminster Window newspaper. The branch, June says, has served the area since 1946 and closing it would destroy the area’s social fabric.
“Everybody is very concerned about this closure because this is an important part of Westminster,” said June, who said opponents of the closure have collected 2,000 signatures.
“It is the hub of our area and also the social fabric,” she said.
June and the branch’s supporters say the facility is also important to area revitalization. The City Council said it also supports keeping the branch open.
As many as 66 postal branches in Colorado were originally being studied for consolidation. But the list has been whittled to two. A final decision is expected in October.
It’s all part of an effort to deal with a $7 billion deficit in the Postal Service budget and mail volume declining by 15 percent nationwide, DeSarro said.
The Postal Service is looking at other ways to cut back, including possibly halting mail delivery on Saturdays.
“There are a number of things on the table we are looking at to cut costs,” said DeSarro. “The economy has hurt us just like everyone else.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
