Planada residents are very upset because it’s going on 10 months after the devastating floods last January, and the town’s Post Office is still far from being ready to open.
Finding who is to blame is not easy. When contacted by the Times, a spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service in Sacramento said repairs to the building are still being made by the owner of the building, and no re-opening date has been sent. “We are also eager to return,” Meiko Patton said, “but the safety of our customers and employees are our No. 1 priority.”
Recently, two workers were seen at the site, but the progress appears to be very slow. The roof needs to be replaced, and the interior looks far from being finished.
Meanwhile, the frustration continues. While postal deliveries did resume to addresses in Planada about a month after the floods, locals say the mail for those with P.O. Boxes continues to be forwarded to the Bell Station Post Office in Merced. Some of these letters are payments made to the homebound seniors; however, caregivers are not being allowed to pick them up. Customers are reminded they need proper ID to make mail and package pickups.