OCEAN VIEW, Del. — Residents of Ocean View will have to wait even longer to get their town's post office back — and many say the delays have gone on far too long.
The post office has been closed since last September after structural damage was found in the building. What was supposed to be a repair job has turned into a full rebuild.
State Sen. Gerald Hocker recently said Sen. Chris Coons' office told him construction on the rebuild will begin in the spring of next year.
For a community that has been without a post office for months, the news has been hard to swallow, especially for long-time residents.
"It's a sin for the town. We really need it. It's a shame that it's come to this. We should have had it a long time ago. It's just delay, delay, delay," said Bonnie Collins, who has lived in Ocean View since 1996.
Collins also said the closure has left a noticeable hole in the community.
"Definitely miss it, definitely miss the post office. There's no reason it shouldn't be here," she said.
In the meantime, residents have been directed to other U.S. Postal Service locations, with the nearest option being the post office on 14 N Pennsylvania Ave in Bethany Beach. While mail is still being delivered to homes, those needing to drop off packages or have items postmarked have been forced to make the drive — which for some has meant a significant detour.
One resident described driving an hour and 45 minutes just to have a letter postmarked in Bethany Beach.
"It's a disgrace that this community, with the people that live here with the growing population, have to do without a post office. And I'll put it personally — I had a letter that needed to be postmarked last week. It took me an hour and 45 minutes to drive to Bethany Beach to drop a letter in the post box," Donald Conant said.
Linda Kleiner said the Bethany Beach location is workable — but far from ideal, especially in the summer months.
"Not happy. Not happy at all. But I have to go to Bethany. I'll go to Bethany. But that's not easy. With the summer crowds," Kleiner said.
"It's an inconvenience to go to Bethany. Number one it’s smaller. There's a lot of crowds. Lack of parking. It's just different than here. Here is much better," she added.
Donald Conant also said the situation reflects a broader failure by elected officials to act.
"This is the situation that should have been fixed months ago. It's been ignored. And the political people involved, whether it's representatives, senators, congressmen are just playing a dumb deaf ear to this whole situation," Conant said.
State Sen. Gerald Hocker said he has been pushing for a short-term fix, proposing the vacant Rite Aid near some of the town's main grocery stores as a temporary location.
In statement provided to WBOC, Senator Chris Coons said he had personally pushed the Postmaster General to provide a solution.
“I will never stop fighting for Delawareans when federal agencies aren’t meeting their needs, including with the ongoing challenges with the U.S. Postal Service operations in Ocean View," the Senator said. "I am disappointed that the Trump Administration’s appointed Postmaster General has continued to let Delaware down. I have personally urged the Postmaster General to pursue the solution supported by local leaders and residents—a new or alternative facility rather than rehabilitation of the existing building."
“My teams in Delaware and Washington are constantly engaged on this issue, in contact with USPS at all levels, and want to hear from Delawareans as it continues," Coons continued. "Regardless of their political party or where they live in our state, we have the same goal, and I am proud to work for every Delawarean to try and solve problems and make their lives better, and I will keep fighting for every Delawarean to have access to the reliable mail service they deserve.”
The completed post office is expected to open in the fall of next year.
