Denny Cristales
Editorial Intern
It looks as though a new post office will finally be delivered to the residents of Bixby Knolls, after the postal service has spent months searching for a location.
The United States Postal Service has selected the property at 4462-4470 Atlantic Ave. in the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center for its new post office location.
The property at 4462-4470 Atlantic Ave., next to the Marshalls department store, will become the location for a new post office in Bixby Knolls sometime in the fall, according to USPS officials.
“We believe this new location will provide the community with an upgraded, modern facility that offers a safe working environment for our employees and the level of service expected by our customers,” Cameron wrote.
The post office will open around the fall, he added.
The decision is four months in the making, as the previous Bixby Knolls post office, located at 4580 Atlantic Ave., was shut down in February, causing a stir amongst residents.
According to a Feb. 6 Signal Tribune story, many residents, unsure of the future of the post office in Bixby Knolls, were concerned about how the closure could affect the service they had relied on for so long. Part of the problem was convenience. Residents had grown accustomed to the post office’s 24-hour schedule and services.
U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal expressed disappointment at the lack of notice provided to his office and residents, adding that he had contacted the USPS directly last summer to “vehemently advocate for the Bixby Knolls location remaining open” but was told at that time that the Bixby Knolls post office was not being studied for closure.
Another problem was the proposed alternative the USPS recommended on Market Street.
Described by Bixby Knolls resident Beverly Austin as a “hole in the wall post office,” the office at Market Street had been criticized by residents for its lack of safety and limited hours during a committee meeting in February.
During that event, about 100 residents gathered to voice their support for a post office in Bixby Knolls. Additional concerns were also addressed about the Market Street area, including lack of accessibility available to those with disabilities and difficulty in finding the location.
Now that a post office location has been identified for the area, elected officials are praising the USPS for its efforts.
Al Austin, councilmember in the 8th district, which encompasses Bixby Knolls, commended the postal service for its decision.
“I appreciate the postal service following up on their commitment to open a new location in the Bixby Knolls area as soon as possible,” Austin said. “This site was the preferred choice of the vast majority of residents who commented on the proposed locations.”
Lowenthal echoed Austin’s statements, expressing satisfaction with the new location.
“I’m pleased that the USPS has listened to input from the community in selecting a location that appears to be the community’s first choice,” he said, “and I look forward to their continued quick action to open the new location.”
