Construction interrupts mail service for Country Club Shores residents

Country Club Shores residents were well-aware of the asbestos pipe replacement project. But what they didn’t expect was to be without mail delivery. 

Lynn Larson, president of the Country Club Shores IV homeowners association, said she was alerted by a resident not receiving mail starting about two weeks ago. 

“There was no warning,” Larson said. 

The resident, Emmanuel Charron, and Larson realized that residents on Ranger and Halyard lanes were not receiving mail. Charron lives on Ranger Lane.

Country Club Shores IV comprises 125 homes and is a part of the total 396 homes in the entire Country Club Shores, according to the association website. 

Larson said she went to the United States Postal Service office on Bay Isles Road to speak with the postmaster, Josue Pagan, about the issues. 

According to her account, Pagan said some of the USPS vehicles suffered flat tires after driving through the construction areas, and he said he wouldn’t risk the safety of his drivers. Another reason was because certain construction vehicles were blocking the mailboxes. 

After her initial meeting with the postmaster, the advice she was given was to have residents come to the post office to collect their mail, she said. 

“Getting the mail at the post office isn’t a big deal, except for traffic, but some people don’t drive,” Charron said. “And some people don’t have the time. So I don’t think that’s the preferred backup.”

Charron said that while driving to the post office may be OK for some residents, some of the older neighbors might not drive, or have a more urgent need for their mail. 

“There are people waiting for medicine, there are people waiting for checks,” Charron said. “And they do care.”

The drive from Ranger Lane to the post office is 2.4 miles, about a seven-minute drive without traffic. 

Photo by Carter Weinhofer

Further, Larson said that residents have been able to drive down the streets, albeit cautiously.

Waste Management has also been able to make pickups work on the affected streets, according to Charron. 

“Why on Earth wouldn’t a smaller truck, like the post office truck, not make its way through? It makes no sense,” Charron said. 

Larson said the community doesn’t have any issues with the construction being done, and Charron said the construction crews have been “incredibly understanding.” 

The two also said that while it isn’t the town’s issue to solve, town staff have been helpful as conduits between Country Club Shores and the post office. 

According to Larson, Public Works Construction & Facility System Manager Guy Matricciani has been trying to work things out among all parties. 

Matricciani and other staff went to the post office to talk with Pagan, which led to three potential solutions. 

First would be the current conditions: residents pick up their mail at the post office. There’s also the option to select one person’s house to be the location where all the mail on the street would be delivered, then allowing residents to get their mail from that location. 

The third option is to have a temporary mailbox system at a designated location. Those structures usually have over 16 individual mailboxes.

Charron said that he seems to think the temporary mailboxes would be the preferred option. But he also added that mail service as usual would be the best option. 

Source of the problem

Lecia Hall, a strategic communications specialist representing USPS, addressed the issue in an emailed statement.

“The Longboat Key Post Office located at 560 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL 34228, is aware of the challenges ongoing island road construction has caused in the community,” she said in the statement. “We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced by our customers and have taken immediate steps, in cooperation with the construction company, to ensure the regular delivery of mail and packages.”

Hall also said that the construction company would be providing the mobile mailboxes for residents’ mail. Packages would be delivered as normal, she added.

Pagan also emailed Public works staff to address the issue, which was forwarded to Town Manager Howard Tipton. Emails sent to public officials are public record.

In the email, Pagan said, “Due to the construction and vehicles blocking the mail boxes (also pipe lines on the sidewalk making it impossible to pull in mailboxes) we are unable to provide delivery service.”

On the USPS website, a frequently asked question section about not receiving mail provided some additional insight. 

According to the site, there are certain conditions that could prevent mail. delivery, including: mailbox blocked, travel obstructions and hazardous conditions/natural disasters. 

Under the “Mailbox blocked” section, the site states that drivers should get out of the vehicle to deliver the mail if the box is temporarily blocked. 

“However, if the carrier continually experiences a problem in serving curb line or rural boxes where the customer is able to control on street parking, the postmaster may withdraw delivery service,” the site goes on to say. 

This story has been updated to include Hall’s emailed statement.