Post office delivers more maintenance

The landscaping around the post office at 560 Bay Isles Parkway is overgrown; weeds surround the area; and potholes have made the building’s parking lot a maze for residents trying to avoid them.

Longboat Key Commissioner George Spoll brought the building’s appearance to the attention of Town Manager Bruce St. Denis last month.

“The post office is an eyesore,” Spoll said. “It’s terrible how that building’s appearance has gone downhill.”
Town Manager Bruce St. Denis contacted Longboat Key Postmaster Al Davis in November, and Davis has agreed to spruce up the building’s grounds.

U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Gary Sawtelle said budgetary issues nationwide have led to the demise of post-office grounds across the country.

“Right now, we have a landscape agreement at the Longboat Key post office that’s primarily for mowing purposes only,” Sawtelle said. “But we are working to change that.”

The potholes that post-office patrons have had to dodge in the parking lot have already been repaired.
Davis is also working to expand his maintenance contract to see if ongoing maintenance of trees and shrubbery can be performed, Sawtelle said.

Sawtelle also said an interim landscaper will be hired to pull weeds and trim bushes this week.

“We understand the residents’ concerns and want to restore the look of their post office,” Sawtelle said. “The residents own their post office, and we understand they want it to look nice and reflect the look of their community.”

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Extreme makeover
U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Gary Sawtelle said the Postal Service is always willing to work with residents who are interested in sprucing up post-office locations or using post-office property for planting projects.

“We have had communities and organizations across the country beautify post-office locations,” said Sawtelle.

Upon hearing this, Longboat Key Garden Club President Jackie Salvino said she believes her club would be interested in doing a planting project at the Longboat Key Post Office.

“We are always looking for and obtaining grants to beautify Longboat Key and maintain its beauty,” Salvino said. “I think a project at our local post office could be very exciting.”

Salvino said she would contact Longboat Key Postmaster Al Davis about a future project and add an agenda item to an upcoming garden club board meeting to discuss the concept.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].