Huntley trustees want post office to move

Three years ago, Huntley officials collected more than 900 signatures opposing ComEd's plan to route transmission lines through the village.

Now, Huntley trustees are at it again, this time to persuade the village's post office to find more suitable location when its lease is up next year.

Trustees say the current building, located on Woodstock Street in Huntley's historic downtown, lacks adequate parking and is unsafe for pedestrians.

"Somebody's going to get killed there one of these days," Trustee Paul Mercer said.

Village officials are urging the U.S. Postal Service to look at other locations in town that have more room for cars and better pedestrian access when the post office's lease expires in 2011.

A postal service spokesman acknowledged the Huntley post office could use more space and said the USPS district office is trying to address the situation.

"Right now, we're trying to save costs where we can, but we are aware of it and have been looking at our facilities people to try to make that situation better," northern Illinois area spokesman Sean Hargadon said.

Earlier this month, Postmaster General John Potter proposed a number of cost-saving measures, including stopping Saturday delivery, to tackle a shortfall expected to reach $238 billion by 2020.

But Huntley trustees don't buy the excuse that it would be too costly to move.

"That's a cop out because if in fact they're spending 'X' dollars on a lease, there's a possibility they could move and maybe - reduce their costs," Trustee Harry Leopold said.

The 2007 petition effort ultimately did little to sway ComEd, which sought and gained formal approval to erect new transmission lines through Huntley.

Village trustees are hoping they'll have better luck this time.

"Probably the same thing will happen here, but you got to do it," Mercer said. "You got to make the effort."