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Sylva Post Office could locate in Jackson Plaza

By Carey Phillips and Rose Hooper
Plans for a new Sylva Post Office could come more into focus this week.

Negotiations are under way to build a new facility near Roses in Jackson Plaza.

A meeting including Mayor Brenda Oliver, postal officials, the owner of the property and the owner of the shopping center was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Although results of the meeting were not known when The Herald went to press, it was possible that a deal could have been reached at that time.

"It looks very positive at this point," Oliver said. "We're in the process of carrying out negotiations."

Postal officials are expected to ask the town to improve the access road to the shopping center.

"I'm sure that will be included into the package," Oliver said.

The post office moved to its current location on Landis Street on March 29, 1965. The process of finding a new site began last fall, according to Postmaster Steve Allen.

"We have outgrown the facility," he said of the 5,500-square-foot building. "It is obsolete. It's not large enough."

When Allen started working at the Sylva Post Office 16 years ago, there were three rural routes. Today there are six.

"We need to make more because of the population growth," he said.

Boxes are not a problem at the current location because nearby post offices, such as Dillsboro and Webster, provide boxes. However, those offices to not offer rural delivery, he said.

"We serve everyone around who wants rural delivery," Allen said.

Meanwhile, Dillsboro town officials have contacted their legislators due to the delay in their new post office. In a written response, Sen. Jesse Helms informed Mayor Wade Wilson that he would stay on top of the issue. Sen. John Edwards wrote Wilson that he, too, was looking into the matter.

"Your new post office remains in the five-year plan. After the public hearing, it appears a site was selected but negotiations ended when the owners backed out. This has caused a delay in the process of choosing an appropriate site," Edwards wrote.

During Monday night's town board meeting, Wilson said that was not his understanding and that somebody had apparently misinformed Sen. Edwards.

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