JACKSON – The township’s post office is apparently not getting any stamps of approval.
Local and federal officials are saying that for some time now they have been hearing from residents about the growing concerns surrounding the Jackson Post Office on Bennetts Mills Road.
Mayor Jennifer Kuhn said she’s heard complaints about the office’s “overcrowding and excessive wait times to traffic congestion, inadequate parking, staffing issues, and, most importantly, the safety of those trying to enter and leave the facility.”
“I have personally visited the location on numerous occasions and witnessed vehicles backing onto Bennetts Mills Road, traffic extending beyond the property, and residents struggling to safely access a federal service they depend on. I want our residents to know that your concerns have not fallen on deaf ears,” the mayor added.
A formal letter was sent recently to U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner requesting a meeting to address what the mayor says “has become an ongoing postal service crisis in Jackson Township. What makes this especially important is that this effort is not coming from one office or one level of government. Congressman Christopher Smith (R-4th), State Senator Owen Henry, Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Robert Clifton (R-12th), and I have come together to stand united on behalf of Jackson residents.”
The letter calls on the United States Postal Service to strongly consider several solutions, including establishing a second full-service post office in Jackson, significantly expanding and modernizing the existing facility, and making immediate operational improvements to address staffing, wait times, traffic, and public safety while a long-term solution is developed.
“Our residents deserve safe and reasonable access to essential postal services, and they deserve to know that when they raise legitimate concerns, their elected officials will listen and act. There is still work ahead, but this letter represents an important step forward,” Kuhn said.
Jackson Township was historically served by two postal facilities – the Cassville Post Office, located at 520 West Veterans Highway, and the Jackson Post Office, located at 915 Bennetts Mills Road – that helped distribute customer demand and provided residents in different sections of the municipality with access to postal services but in 2012, the Cassville facility closed its doors forcing thousands of residents to now rely upon a singular facility for their postal needs.
In the conclusion of their letter, the lawmakers call for “decisive action” from the USPS and urge the agency to seriously evaluate the establishment of a second, full-service postal facility within Jackson Township to restore adequate access for residents and businesses. They also want a significant modernization and/or expansion of the existing Bennetts Mills Road facility, including improvements to parking, traffic flow, customer service areas, accessibility, and operational capacity; and the immediate operational improvements to address staffing levels, customer wait times, and public safety concerns while long-term solutions are being evaluated.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th) who represents Jackson Township said there were “overwhelming concerns voiced by residents and businesses in the township who have repeatedly expressed frustrations over deteriorating service conditions, unsafe access, excessive wait times, and inadequacies of the existing facility.”
Smith stated, “while the USPS has previously stated that they are aware of and looking into the ongoing challenges facing the Jackson Post Office, these issues have only intensified in recent years, resulting in poor customer service, and above all, serious public safety risks. As Jackson Township’s population continues to grow, so do the shortcomings and limitations of its only postal facility.”
The Jackson Times visited that post office on a recent afternoon. Resident Victor Salvi has been using that post office for a long time. He’s been a Jackson resident for 38 years. “Since I’ve been here it has its days of high use but it actually seems to move rather fast like today.”
Resident Terry Shelby remarked “this is my second time here in five years and it does move fast but there isn’t a lot of space for parking.”
Officials at the office directed The Jackson Times to Xavier Hernandez of the USPS through a phone number and email address which was used to reach out to him for further comment but nothing was received.
Jackson Township is the third-largest municipality in the state by land area, encompassing approximately 100 square miles. The township’s population has grown exponentially in recent decades.
The letter noted that according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the township’s population jumped from 25,644 residents in 1980 to 58,544 residents in 2020. More recent estimates put the population at nearly 61,000 residents.
The letter states that this growth has “significantly increased the demand for postal services. These conditions, the lawmakers argue, “create legitimate public safety concerns, not only for postal customers, but also for motorists, pedestrians, emergency responders, and the community as a whole.”
