Portland, OR – Today, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Congressman Greg Walden called on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to maintain the property in Lakeview so that it doesn’t detract from the downtown revival efforts of the community. In a letter to the Portland District Manager of the USPS, the leaders asked for the Lakeview postal service to be painted and maintained so that it no longer creates an eyesore in downtown Lakeview.
“Lakeview is a community of more than 2,000 in rural Eastern Oregon. Community members and business owners take great pride in their downtown and have been patiently waiting for the post office building, which is one of the largest and most prominent buildings in town, to have its exterior refreshed,” wrote Merkley, Wyden and Walden. “Lakeview residents have expressed repeated concerns that the deteriorating condition of the Post Office detracts from the health and vibrancy of their downtown business area. We urge you to utilize available funds for necessary maintenance to the Lakeview Post Office as soon as possible. If this is not feasible, we strongly recommend that USPS to work with the local community to allow private funds to be raised to complete these long overdue maintenance.”
Senator Merkley learned about the community’s concerns around the deterioration of the Post Office after awarding the Lakeview Community Partnership with a U.S. flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol at a town hall in January.
Members of the Lakeview Community Partnership have been working for months to get the local post office painted and landscape maintained in order to help revitalize downtown Lakeview. After being denied by the USPS repeatedly due to budget constraints, the Lakeview community asked if volunteers could take on the work themselves. After being denied again by the USPS, the Lakeview Community Partnership asked the elected officials for help.
Full text of letter is included below:
Mr. Tyrone Williams
Portland District Manager
United States Postal Service
PO Box 3609
715 NW Hoyt Street
Portland, OR 97208-3609
Dear Mr. Williams,
We write today to request your attention in addressing long-standing maintenance needs at the Post Office in Lakeview, Oregon. The Lakeview Post Office located at located at 18 South G Street is a beautiful building that won an award for its appearance in 1969, but has been in need of repair for several years. Lakeview residents have expressed repeated concerns that the deteriorating condition of the Post Office detracts from the health and vibrancy of their downtown business area.
The City of Lakeview is a community of more than 2,000 in rural south central Oregon. Community members and business owners take great pride in their downtown and have been waiting patiently for the post office building, one of the largest and most prominent buildings in town, to have its exterior refreshed. Currently, the building is dilapidated with significant paint peeling, landscaping that has died off and leaning flag poles. To assist, the Lakeview Community Partnership, a locally formed non-profit organization that is caring for other downtown buildings, has expressed its willingness to help raise funds and help complete needed repairs.
We understand the USPS is operating with limited resources and has a backlog of deferred maintenance across the country. We also appreciate the work you have done to keep rural post offices operating across the West. Cutting hours rather than closing locations has been a preferred alternative for most locations. As Lakeview’s sole postal office, this facility plays an integral role in supporting the local economy and providing the local residents needed access to efficient and reliable mail service.
We urge you to utilize available funds for necessary maintenance to the Lakeview Post Office as soon as possible. If this is not feasible, we strongly recommend that USPS to work with the local community to allow private funds to be raised to complete these long overdue maintenance. USPS is a vital community partner and these upgrades are critical to promoting goodwill and maintaining a desirable downtown environment in Lakeview.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Merkley
Ron Wyden
Greg Walden
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