The proposal to replace Park City’s Main Street Post Office with gang boxes has been around for a number of years.
But now one Oldtown resident, Mark Brian, says that with the coronavirus outbreak, it’s an idea whose time has come.
Brian told KPCW that Summit County reportedly has one of the highest infection rates for COVID-19, per capita, in the country. And there’s too much of a risk of contracting the virus for residents who visit the Post Office.
He said that he hopes to come to the Park City Council in a few weeks with his idea. Although a Post Office has been on Main for decades, and change is difficult, Brian said it’s time to eliminate that facility.
“The U.S. Postal Service built the new Post Office by the police station for the purpose of moving there completely. And that effort’s been blocked by the city. It’s an old building that has lived its useful, and it’s just part of progress and moving forward. People don’t necessarily like it. But I think for the greater good of the community, moving to the new Post Office would be better for certainly our health, traffic and reduction of pollution, and convenience.”
Brian contended there would be less pollution and traffic if residents were not driving to the Post Office.
He said he talked to the local Postmaster several months back, who indicated the Postal Service was willing to procure gang boxes and pay for their installation. He said they could be located in several places.
"One of the Cons, if you will, about installing them is the potential for clutter. But I think if they were tucked next to the Library, or along Park City City Park, or at the Marsac Building, or near the staircases to go between our side streets, I think those would be perfect locations.”
One argument for the facility is that it’s a community gathering spot. But Brian said he doesn’t think that much socializing goes on there.
He also doesn’t think that the facility is needed by shops, restaurants or other businesses on Main.
“The restaurants pretty much get their food delivered by trucks. Most of the other shops, they get UPS, or they use UPS or Fedex. And the Postal Service offers pick-up services.”
He doesn’t know how many Post Office boxes owned by local residents would have to be moved.
Another concern is that the new gang boxes would have to be cleared of snow in the winter. But he’s confident that the city can handle that.
“We have tremendous snow-removal personnel in our city that work diligently every time there’s a storm, shoveling our stairways, clearing out the City Park and all the parking lots owned by the city around town. So I think the snow removal is being done anyway. There may be a few minutes to just shovel out in front of a box. But I think that’s minor in comparison to the benefits.”
Brian also said he has the support of seniors.
“That’s the group of people that are most at risk from losing their lives. And so, as compared to having your novel old Post Office in town, versus the potential loss of life, I think from an ethical and moral perspective, it’s just something that needs to be done.”
Oldtown resident Mark Brian, who said supporters of the proposal need to be positive, persuasive and persistent.
