Dresher post office closes after 50 years
7he Dresher SRsW RffiFe FORsed iWs doors for good Friday after serving the community for more than 50 years.
7hRse wiWh SRsW RffiFe bRxes aW Whe Dresher faFiOiWy wiOO have bRxes SrRvided at the Fort Washington post offiFe aW Whe FRrner Rf HiJhOand Avenue and 3ineWRwn 5Rad, Whe FORsesW faFiO- iWy fRr WhRse seekinJ SRsWaO serviFes.
-Rhn F. .ennedy was SresidenW Rf Whe 8niWed SWaWes when Whe smaOO, Rne-man SRsW RffiFe RSened in 1961, a plaque in the lobby notes, a time when Whe 8.S. 3RsWaO ServiFe was in a mRre finanFiaOOy sROvenW SRsiWiRn. 7he deFisiRn OeadinJ WR Whe SeSW. 21 FORsure Rf Whe Dresher ORFaWiRn had mRre WR dR wiWh WhRse finanFes Whan anyWhinJ eOse, aFFRrdinJ WR 0ike SORane, Rwner Rf 0erFedes-Benz Rf Fort Washington and landlord for the SRsW RffiFe Rn DresherWRwn 5Rad.
0ark :aOsh, whR’s been behind Whe FRunWer aW Whe Dresher SRsW RffiFe fRr 21 years, said SeSW. 18 WhaW he heard in AuJusW WhaW 0erFedes-Benz, whiFh has a SarWs and serviFe faFiOiWy nexW dRRr, wRuOd be WakinJ Rver Whe building.
“:e made Whe SRsW RffiFe FuW, Whey
xthe r.S. mostal Servicez wanted to keep us open,” Walsh said, noting there had been talk in May or June about cutting the facility’s hours, but the decision was made to keep the hours at 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. “fn August Mercedes decided they needed the land,” he said.
Walsh said he heard Mercedes would tear the building down and perhaps create more parking for the parts and service shop.
Sloane, who owns the land from the Mercedes parts and service building to the corner of areshertown Road and iimekiln mike, said Sept. 19 that he didn’t ask the postal service to leave. qhe postal service made the decision not to remain at the site when faced with either putting on a new roof for the building or having the rent increased to pay for needed improvement costs, he said.
qhe original lease for the DUHshHU SRsW RIfiFH, EDsHG on a low rent because its location was considered a “community asset,” was signed in 1985, Sloane said. When he took ownership of the land two and a half years ago, the same lease for the same amount of money was still in force on a month-tomonth basis, he said.
As the landlord, Mercedes was responsible for improvements to the facility, he said, and the building needed a new roof, which “triggered us to talk to them about a change in the rent.”
“f went to the postmaster to talk about the quality of the facility and what it needed to make it safe,” Sloane said. qhe dealer wanted the postal service to either “participate in the costs of improvements or xpay anz increase in rent. qhey made the decision to vacate the property, rather than spend the money the organization doesn’t have.”
Contrary to rumor, Sloane said “we do not hDvH Dny sSHFLfiF SODns right now” for the building. “My guess is at some point the structure would be leveled; the cost of improving it is probably not a smart investment.”
,n WhH HDUOy 1970s, fivH carriers worked out of the aresher facility, but were moved to the larger Fort :DshLnJWRn SRsW RIfiFH, which took over operating WhH DUHshHU RIfiFH DW WhDW time, Walsh said.
kow the entire operation will move to Fort Washington.
A 38-year employee of the postal service, Walsh said he is being reassigned to the Fort Washington post RIfiFH.
“f don’t like it,” he said. “f would rather stay here.”
As a steady stream of customers came and went from the aresher post offiFH DURunG 11 D.P. SHSW. 18, several commented on the quality of service and said they would miss it. kone, when asked, were aware of its closing, despite a notice on one of the exterior doors.
“A lot of people don’t know,” Walsh said.