SCHUMER CALLS ON USPS TO WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITY AND REOPEN WEST PARK POST OFFICE

West Park Post Office Has Served Ulster County Community For More Than 130 Years Until USPS Abruptly Announced Its Closure, Forcing Customers To Travel Five Miles Away To Highland To Collect Mail Instead

Schumer Urges USPS To Restore Postal Operations So Residents And Small Businesses Can Easily Receive Medications, Checks & Bills, Packages, And Other Important Mail

Schumer To USPS: West Park Deserves A Post Office In West Park

After the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced its plan to close the West Park Post Office, and then officially closed the facility on July 24, impacting approximately 170 post office box holders, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer called on the USPS to immediately restore the post office and work with the community to avoid disruptions to reliable mail service. For years, Schumer has fought relentlessly to protect post offices across Upstate New York, demanding accountability from the U.S. Postal Service, ensuring rural residents have a voice in decisions that affect them, and defending the local institutions that keep small communities connected.

"The West Park Post Office is more than a place where residents pick up mail and drop off packages; it's the center of the community. The abrupt closure of this office, now forcing residents and small businesses to drive miles away to pick up medications, packages, and other important mail, is simply unacceptable," said Senator Schumer. "Every day this post office remains closed is another day this community is without an essential asset it depends on. West Park deserves a post office in West Park, and that's why I'm calling on the USPS to work with the community to reopen it immediately."

"The West Park Post Office has been an important part of our hamlet for generations, providing essential services while serving as a place that connects neighbors and strengthens our community. On behalf of the Town of Esopus, I want to thank Senator Schumer for his continued support and for standing up for the residents of West Park and our entire community toward a solution that restores reliable postal service close to home," said Roscoe T. Pecora, Town Supervisor, Town of Esopus.

Earlier this year, the USPS announced its plan to close the West Park Post Office, forcing approximately 170 post office box holders to travel five miles away to Highland to collect their mail. The West Park community has rallied against the closure of its gathering place, emphasizing that residents and small businesses depend on the post office for medications, checks, bills, packages, and more. The USPS has not provided any updates to the local community, including the details of a new lease or a timeline for the potential reopening. Schumer said the USPS must work with local stakeholders to restore this essential public service for the West Park community.

Schumer's letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner can be found HERE or below:

Dear Postmaster General Steiner,

I write with concern regarding the future of the West Park Post Office, located at 1740 US-9W, West Park, NY 12493. On July 24, 2026, the United States Postal Service (USPS) issued a temporary closure of the West Park Post Office, citing a loss of lease. Since then, USPS has provided no timeline or concrete plans to restore postal operations in West Park and to ensure that the community's post office remains in West Park. I urge you to act swiftly and diligently to reinstate the post office in West Park, and to work transparently and collaboratively with community stakeholders in that process.

While I appreciate that the Postal Service has provided alternative mail services for West Park residents at the neighboring Highland Post Office, this location is more than five miles away for many residents, postal workers, and small business owners. West Park is a rural community and any disruptions to mail operations pose serious challenges for many of the residents and small businesses who depend on the Postal Service in their daily lives and who will now have to drive to another town to pick up their medications, checks and bills, packages, and other important mail.

Furthermore, in West Park, the post office is not just a place where residents pick up their mail and drop off their packages. The West Park Post Office is the heart and center of the town - it is the place where residents build close-knit connections with their neighbors and postal workers, and where they see West Park's identity represented in a community space. The closure of West Park Post Office is a real detriment to the community and any further delays in reinstating the West Park Post Office are unacceptable.

Therefore, I urge the Postal Service to immediately act to reinstate the West Park Post Office. Again, I also urge the Postal Service to transparently engage with West Park residents and establish a clear plan to restore the West Park Post Office as quickly as possible. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response.

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