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Published on 02/23/1998 All articles from this issue

Planned postal facility a step closer to reality

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By Carol Tiegs / Town Crier Staff Writer

The state-of-the art postal facility planned at 1525 Miramonte Avenue in Los Altos takes another step toward becoming reality when postal carriers move this Saturday evening to a temporary facility.

The move to 1070 L'Avenida in Mountain View paves the way for demolition of the former Safeway building at Miramonte in Loyola Corners that has served as a carrier annex. According to John O'Keefe, the Postal Service's manager for administrative services, it will be replaced with a 20,245-square-foot building that will house a complete retail service center and improved carrier distribution center.

"The new facility is going to be absolutely fantastic," said Barbara Stryker, Los Altos Post Office station manager and officer-in-charge. Stryker saw building plans at a 60 percent review meeting on Feb. 19.

Features of the new facility will include a customer-friendly retail postal store, Stryker said. "Customers will be able to pick out the products they want themselves," she said.

"They won't have to ask a postal clerk to bring products out."

There will be retail windows where customers can buy stamps, weigh packages and do mailing, she said, as well as post office boxes for rent in a lobby open 24 hours daily.

Mail processing will be done at the new Miramonte facility rather than in San Francisco, Stryker said, so "we should give better, faster service."

The building exterior will be stucco in neutral tones, she said.

"I hope customers will bear with us (through the construction)," Stryker said. "I think it will really be worth it."

During the approximately 360-day construction period, customers will pick up non-deliverable mail at the temporary Mountain View location at 1070 L'Avenida, the first right turn off of Shoreline Blvd. after crossing Hwy. 101. Hours at that site will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Stryker said.

"We will do everything to make this a smooth transition for the community," she said.