Postal Service’s reported deficit seen as sign proposed massive mail-processing center in town will not go forward
Reports that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is facing massive deficits that could force it to cut one day of mail delivery has city officials hopeful the USPS will nix its plans to build a much-contested massive-mail processing center in town.
News of the Postal Service’s possible net loss of $6 billion or more this fiscal year comes as city officials wait for Feb. 2 – the earliest date the Postal Service can make a final decision on the project.
The city has long expressed its concerns regarding the Postal Service’s plan to build a roughly 350,000-square-foot regional mail distribution center near homes, a religious facility, teen center, preschool, proposed affordable senior housing development and other vulnerable uses between 2A and 6 Liberty.
In talks with the city, USPS officials stressed the importance of providing a location for the five Flat Sequencing Sorters (FSS) on order for Orange County. Each machine requires 50,000-square-feet of space, which falls in line with the Postal Service’s originally proposed 450,000-square-foot facility for Aliso Viejo. USPS also said staff time would be “saved” with these machines by taking manual sorting out of the hands of letter carriers.
Councilwoman Carmen Cave questions how the USPS could spend millions of dollars to build a facility to handle more mail when there continues to be fewer pieces mailed – and then build machines that will take work away from Postal Service employees.
“In times like these, with so many people out of work, it is unconscionable to be part of any operation that is seeking to put people out of work,” Cave said. “This facility should not be built, and I do not want our city to be indirectly complicit in taking work away from our letter carriers.”
Officials and residents have repeatedly said that Aliso Viejo is not the right fit for such a gigantic operation. The public has raised concerns about public safety, traffic, noise, air quality and other significant issues associated with such a regional facility.
City officials are urging residents to contact the Postal Service and local legislators ASAP and let them know how the project may impact them. Detailed contact information is available on the city’s Web site at www.cityofalisoviejo.com.
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