Dover post office stays put for now

DOVER - Just days before it was set to close, the Dover post office received a stay of execution that will keep the office operational for at least four more months.

After years at its current location, the U.S. Postal Service announced last week it would close its Dover branch on Wednesday after failing to secure a new lease with the building's owner.

In the wake of a heated community meeting and a weekend conversation between postal officials and the building's owners, both parties agreed it would be in Dover's best interest for the office to stay put for the time being.

On Friday, Jessica Steidl of Inland Northwest Realty, who represents the building's owners, said her clients were unaware the closure would be so disruptive to the community. After learning of the public outcry, Steidl said her clients decided to extend the lease at its current price while a another location for the post office is found.

Steidl said many of the problems stemmed from a lack of communication between postal officials and her clients, and both sides dispute the details of lease negotiations. Steidl said her clients wanted to keep the post office in the building long-term, but could not afford to do so under the current $150 per month rental agreement. She said her clients asked for $350, but postal officials balked at the offer.

Post office operations manager Timothy Youngblood was not personally involved with the lease negotiations, but disputes the claim that the USPS refused to negotiate.

"From what I was told, she didn't really give us that option. It sounded like it was either $350 or you need to leave. That was my understanding from the folks that I talked to," Youngblood said.

Under the new agreement, the post office will continue at its current location until March 19, which Dover officials hope will be enough time to find a permanent replacement.

Mayor Randy Curless said the city has yet to settle on a new location, but is in talks with the city's fire chief about the possibility of transforming the old fire department into the new post office. Curless said the unused building would be a good fit for the post office, but said there are other options if the fire department deal falls through.

After attending Friday's community meeting on the subject, Curless said he is confident that the city and its residents will come together to find a permanent replacement for the post office.

"I think it's a tremendously good sign," Curless said of the community interest. "I think it's going to take people working together to get the job done, but the interest is there from the public. We have a lot of retired people in Dover, and they need to have a post office that they can get to. I think that's very essential."