<p>The Edgartown Post Office has been closed since Friday morning and operations temporarily moved to Vineyard Haven because of water damage.</p>
The Edgartown Post Office has been closed since Friday morning and operations temporarily moved to Vineyard Haven because of water damage related to building renovations.
Work has been underway to construct five apartments on the second floor of the building that houses the post office and a branch of the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank. With the roof removed for construction, rainfall has leaked into the building, requiring two brief closures prior to Friday's heavy rainfall.
On Friday the post office was closed again and the United States Postal Service said in a press release there was no firm timetable for reopening. The building manager and contractor are working with the postal service to minimize customer inconvenience, the press release said.
Edgartown postal operations have temporarily moved to Vineyard Haven.
Edgartown postal operations have temporarily moved to Vineyard Haven.
Meanwhile, Edgartown Post Office operations have relocated to Vineyard Haven Post Office, 1 Lagoon Pond Road in Vineyard Haven. A sign posted at the Edgartown location Saturday said some mail was available for pick-up starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, and a separate line and area would be available for Edgartown customers.
Hours will be Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and customers should bring identification, the post office said.
The sign said packages and mail would start to arrive in Vineyard Haven Saturday but it would take a few days for all items to arrive "as we need to set up a safe distribution area whith the lobby area."
"With thousands of customers we ask for your patience and cooperation through this transition," the sign read. "We hope to be back here as soon as possible."
About 3,000 customers have post office boxes at the Edgartown office.
The postal service press release said retail services for Edgartown customers were available at the Vineyard Haven office and the Woods Hole Post Office at 16 Water Street in Woods Hole. Hours at those locations were extended on Saturday to accommodate Edgartown customers.
“We thank our Martha’s Vineyard customers for their cooperation and their patience as we work to remedy this issue,” the press release stated.
Customers with questions or comments can call toll-free 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or send an email via usps.com.
The Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank branch office next to the post office has also been temporarily closed, the bank said in a statement on their website. Hours have been extended at the bank’s Main street Edgartown branch on Friday until 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Those with questions are asked to contact 508-627-4266.
Developer Charles Hajjar received approval for the apartment project by the town and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in 2014, despite concerns from neighbors about parking and traffic problems. The project includes building three more apartments on the second story of the adjacent building that houses a Bank of America vestibule and Ocean Breeze bedding.
Comments
Why Vineyard Haven? Why can
BFWhy Vineyard Haven? Why can't the Church St. post office in Edgartown serve us until this mess is remedied?!
Because it is the nature of
Joey Oak BluffsBecause it is the nature of the US Post Office to torture customers with inconveniences and make sure they suffer as much as possible.
Thank you internet, may you
Ken Edg.Thank you internet, may you always be up and running. If closed too long I have a mail box in the basement.
Very funny April Fools' Joke!
Victor ChappaquiddickVery funny April Fools' Joke!!! Why not go to New Bedford to gwt mail?
WOODS HOLE !!! ??? Is there a
Boxholder EdgartownWOODS HOLE !!! ??? Is there a special boat running to the Woods Hole Post Office tomorrow ?
This is unconscionable.
Ann Floyd EdgartownThis is unconscionable. Someone has royally screwed up!
I am thrilled that the Woods
Heather Smith Edgartown boxholderI am thrilled that the Woods Hole office is extending their hours to accomodate us boxholders in Edgartown. Very convenient. Perhaps we should all get PO boxes in Woods Hole?
If you want a PO box in Woods
TOM HODGSON wtIf you want a PO box in Woods Hole, good luck. The wait list there is verrrrrrrrry long.
We can thank our Edgartown
Box holder EdgartownWe can thank our Edgartown planning board for 100% endorsing this project even though over 40 towns people went to over 6 meetings to tell them this was a bad idea. So guys wipe the fudge out of your eyes and maybe you can see day light now. Trader Fred, Coo, and the fudge packer from Murducks go car pool to Woods Hole to mail fudge and get your mail.
This has nothing to do with
BS OBThis has nothing to do with the planning board. This project is exactly what the townspeople envisioned when they passed the master plan for this area. Housing for working islanders within walking distance to everything is what every town should strive for. The problem is with poor planning by the construction company, not the planning board.
You are correct nothing to do
Bob EdgartownYou are correct nothing to do with MVC or the Planning board. This is a great project being carried out by Charles Hajjar in a bad way. He is a new business owner in Edgartown and owns several other business and I hope he does not run them like he is running this. Mr. Hajjar owes the town a big apology for his poor selection of a contractor and needs to fix this asap. At all the public meetings his lawyer Sean Murphy told us all what a good man Mr.Hajjar is and how he has done this all before. I am starting to wonder.
Nice post....I didnt even
Ken Edg.Nice post....I didnt even think the MVC would approve it. You know how hard it is to build on top of single level buildings in Edgartown? I never thought it would be structurely sound. Maybe it isnt.
It turns out that the
Gamma Bamma EdgartownIt turns out that the buildings were initially constructed with putting a second story on in mind. I was digging around and found reference to the "Four Flags Agreement" from 1986 which outlined a three phase construction plan in which phase three was building out second floors on all the buildings. Who knew!
This is unacceptable. When
Resident EdgartownThis is unacceptable. When will our selectmen step in and say this has to stop? I've never seen a more messed up construction company. They need to be sued and replaced!
I agree. The construction
Sully edgartownI agree. The construction company should be held accountable. Why are there not 20 people there fixing the problem night and day?!!
It just shows the total
deshandra brown mvIt just shows the total disregard and zero respect for the 3000 boxholders by the property owner. I'd suggest that the post office break the lease based upon this and move somewhere else. If the PO split into smaller substations, at least for box delivery, it could eliminate 3000+ roundtrips on upper main st daily by people 'going to the mail'. As such, it would go a long way towards solving the traffic congestion in the area.
Where is the Edgartown
Really West TisburyWhere is the Edgartown Building Inspector? This should have been being monitored very closely when the bank closed. People could have been seriously injured in all of this. Someone in town government needs to held accountable!!! No the blame game real accountability!!!
Not sure what it is you
Peter Oak BluffsNot sure what it is you wanted the building inspector or someone else in "town government" to do about this, go onto the site and do the work the contractor seems incapable of doing? Seriously, what exactly is it you think the town officials you've referenced should be doing?
A building under construction
Really West TisburyA building under construction, or any building for that matter, but especially one under construction that is not safe to be occupied or is unsafe is in their collective pervue. When the first problems happen you would think that they would have paid more attention. Isn't it the building inspectors job to look out for the safety of the public, but especially public building or building being occupied for a public purpose. Maybe someone should call and ask the state who in our local government should be held accountable. Obviously the contractor is responsible from that side but who in town is suppose to be watching if not the building inspector. Let's find out?
@Really, what exactly do you
Peter Oak Bluffs@Really, what exactly do you want to hold the building inspector or other government officials accountable for? The building is shut down to the public, I'm guessing the building dept. had something to do with that as they did in the earlier temporary closures. Do you want them held accountable because the building is now closed to the public until further notice?
Why all the venom against the
Peter West TisburyWhy all the venom against the Post Office? Who is the Landlord who hired the construction company? Who is the construction company? Aren't the post office and bank the victims here?
The PO should have been moved
Anniemvtc West TisburyThe PO should have been moved prior to construction. This is what happens when you have poor planners carrying out a construction time frame. The property owner and the contractor should be held accountable. I don't believe the USPS understood the gravity of this project and we don't know what they were told (promised) by the contractor. Someone needs to step in and make this right with the people of Edgartown, fast! This situation also has a trickle down effect of Vineyard Haven. The traffic in their parking lot can't possibly handle the influx of Edgartown residents. Poor planning all around.
Could you give us an email
TOM HODGSON WTCould you give us an email address that will work? If you use the "usps.com" address given in the article, communications are bounced back with the comment: "The address ""usps.com"" in the "To" field was not recognized. Please make sure that all addresses are properly formed."
Most people would check the
Edgartown Citizen EdgartownMost people would check the weather before tearing a roof off a building. Why didn't Dukes County Builders know it was supposed to rain for 5 days the day after they tore a roof off? Clearly the people running this job aren't very bright.
Exactly. I had to run into a
RD WTExactly. I had to run into a store there the day before it happened, and hundreds of square feet were exposed to the elements. I saw the extended forecast and and thought it was odd. The construction company GC needs a weather app.
So my wife went to the VH
Steve P EdgartownSo my wife went to the VH post office today. They only had today's mail; mail from the previous days is still in E'town. Does this qualify as a SNAFU?
This is almost unbelievable,
Truthteller CAThis is almost unbelievable, the Pony Express did better and they had dangerous conditions and we, with all of our zoning, planning, government oversight, taxes, regulatory boards cannot do as well as the P E did hundreds of years ago?
I have complete faith in the
Resident EdgartownI have complete faith in the safety and quality of the apartments going up. Of course they will be mold-free, well designed and structurally sound. I don't foresee any problems going forward. This is great for the town and the residents.
Maybe the PO could use this opportunity to relocate to a location with ample parking?
Maybe this guy should have
Edg Box holder EdgMaybe this guy should have used the same builder he used for his 14,000 sq ft OB home
http://bostoncommon-magazine.com/home-tour-a-marthas-vineyard-manse
Thanks to Edg Box holder for
brown wren EdgartownThanks to Edg Box holder for the link to bostoncommonmagazine.com.
If the Hajjar house has 14,000 square feet, maybe we could use that as a post office until the new edifice is roofed, instead stressing out Five Corners and that small parking lot.
you can not hold town
Matt Charleston SCyou can not hold town government reasonable for this its poor timing and judgment of the contractor.
What a major aggravation,
Boxed Out Senior EdgartownWhat a major aggravation, inconvenience and expense for boxholders and retail patrons of the PO. And something that could have been prevented. We suffer enough in the summer to be subjected to something like this in the off season. Shame on the contractor who should have known better than to leave an occupied public building exposed to the elements. And shame on Mr. Hajjar and yes the Edgatrown Building inspector for not holding the contractors feet to the fire especially after the first incident. And no one has come forward with even a semblance of an apology-
how very sad!
Complaints about the project
Mia Culpa MVComplaints about the project can be sent to Paul Mahoney, the COO of Hajjar Management. The email is [email protected] or [email protected]. Telco number 617-296-5200. I would additionally suggest you contact our state senator Daniel Wolf ([email protected]) and state representative Tim Madden ([email protected]).
You cant be serious, contact
Kendal EdgYou cant be serious, contact our state senator Daniel Wolf ([email protected]) and state representative Tim Madden ([email protected]). What can they possibly do?
This isn’t a failure of the
Check is in the Mail MVThis isn’t a failure of the planning board. This is a failure of the contractor to be true to his word in terms of how the project was to be completed. According to the minutes from the planning board dated October 6, 2015, Mr. Erez proposed that, “In order to minimize impact to the structure, the eaves of the roof will be cut off, and the framing will slide in … this will allow the floor system to be framed without the roof being removed. This will also allow for secondary protection and reinforcement for the floors and ceilings of the building”. Perhaps if Mr. Erez stuck to the plan instead of chopping the roof off we wouldn’t be in this situation.
It's only water, for God's
Mark F Lucier EdgartownIt's only water, for God's sake!
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