USPS considering closing Algonquin's east side post office

The post office branch on Algonquin's east side may no longer deliver for you.

Due to a sharp decline in mail volume that has meant declining revenue, U.S. Postal Service officials are considering merging the branch at 1420 E. Algonquin Road with the village's main post office at 801 W. Algonquin Road.

Authorities will make a final decision within a month.

If the move goes through, the postal service would no longer pay for east side space and could save money on mail transportation costs, officials said.

It would reassign the building's two employees to other post offices, and move its 193 post office boxes to the main branch, said Tim Ratliff, a spokesman for the postal service's Northern Illinois District.

"The post office, like all businesses, has faced a number of challenges," Ratliff said. "It makes the best sense to consolidate that facility."

Earlier this month, postal officials sent a letter explaining the situation to its customers in Algonquin, Barrington Hills and portions of unincorporated Kane and McHenry counties.

The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce is encouraging its members to contact senators and congressmen in hopes of keeping the branch open.

Closing the east-side facility would cause more congestion, lead to longer lines and decrease foot traffic for the east-side businesses that surround it, said Sandy Oslance, the chamber's executive director.

"It could hurt the residents, businesses and the convenience factor," Oslance said.

The east side post office was meant as a temporary fix when opened in the early 1990s after the village's the main post office burned down. The postal service kept it open due to high demand.

Since then, however, mail volume has declined by 9.5 billion pieces nationwide because of the use of the Internet and certain industries mailing less during the economic downturn, Ratliff said.

Today, the east-side facility's employees handle 150 transactions a day, Ratliff said.