Group finds site for post office

DOVER — After months of work, a group of Dover residents think they’ve found a new home for the city’s post office.

The current facility is slated to close its doors for good on March 20, four months after the building’s owner and the U.S. Postal Service failed to reach an agreement on a long-term lease.

Paul Nowaske, who leads the Dover Post Office Committee, recently announced that a new, temporarily location has been found.

Details have yet to be finalized, but Nowaske said a provisional agreement between USPS and the city of Dover will enable the use of the city’s former fire department. The city tentatively agreed to offer the building for $1,800 per year, which is on par with the what the current location charges.

Nowaske is awaiting final approval from the City Council and USPS, but hopes to begin transforming the building into a suitable post office by early next month.

The building will need minor alterations, including tearing down drywall, but Nowaske said an anonymous Dover resident has offered to foot the bill for all modifications.

Once operational, the new post office would operate under a two-year lease and offer services similar to the current office.

While he is excited to find a new location, Nowaske said the fire house is not a permanent fix.

“We’re hoping this isn’t for more than a couple years. We’re hoping someone steps forward at Dover Bay and says, ‘We want to put in a post office/convenience market,’” Nowaske said.

It might not be the ideal solution, but Nowaske said he will be relieved when the project is finalized and was quick to praise the small but active group of residents who gave up their free time to find the location.

 “It’s just a few people, but it’s people who are active and want to support this and help us get going,” Nowaske said. “They’ve offered to do everything from pounding nails to painting walls to just being behind it.”