GRANITE QUARRY — Town officials’ frustration with the U.S. Postal Service continues.

Once more, a postal official has denied a request from Granite Quarry for residents and businesses to be allowed to use “Granite Quarry” as part of their mailing addresses.

For years — Alderman Mike Brinkley says the town has been fighting this battle since 1990 when he was on the board previously — Granite Quarry residents who do not receive their mail at the Granite Quarry Post Office have had to use a “Salisbury, NC 28146” address.

For example, even though Mayor Bill Feather lives on East Kerns Street in Granite Quarry, his mailing address is East Kerns Street, Salisbury, NC 28146.

Mail is delivered to residents and places of business from the post office in Salisbury, not from the Granite Quarry Post Office, so that’s been given as the reason for the Salisbury address and ZIP code, even though the Granite Quarry Post Office has its own ZIP code of 28072.

For the past six months, Granite Quarry officials have been communicating with the postal service again. Feather said their request, which apparently was misinterpreted by the postal service, was to include “Granite Quarry” in residents’ mailing address, while also keeping the 28146 ZIP code.

So Feather’s address, as proposed by the town board, would be “East Kerns Street, Granite Quarry, NC 28146.”

But aldermen have received their most recent bureaucratic denial from Maged S. Aziz, district manager for the Mid-Carolinas District of the U.S. Postal Service in Charlotte.

In an Oct. 1 letter to  Susan Closner, Granite Quarry’s planning and zoning administrator, Aziz said, “While the Postal Service appreciates the identity and addressing concerns of local communities, we must be guided in the interests of service and efficiency.

“My review indicates this change is not fiscally sound, nor would it improve service to your town. Based on this information, your request to use Granite Quarry, NC 28072 as a street delivery address will not be granted at this time.”

Feather couldn’t hide his frustration at the town board meeting Monday night. “I’m sorry about my displeasure here,” he said “… That was not the request.”

Feather reiterated the town’s request was to be able to use “Granite Quarry, NC 28146,” not “Granite Quarry, NC, 28072,” which is the address used only for post office box holders in the town.

Aziz’s letter did offer an “alternative addressing convention” for all residents of Granite Quarry. He suggested that on an envelope it appear this way:

Name of customer or business
Granite Quarry, NC
Street number and street
Salisbury, NC 28146

Again, the suggestion did not please board members.

Feather said he recently had his driver’s license renewed at the Division of Motor Vehicles, and that state agency, after asking him his physical address and mailing address, put it on his new license as he thinks it should be:

Bill Feather
East Kerns Street
Granite Quarry, NC 28146

In his letter, Aziz noted the town had requested from the postal service a ZIP Code Boundary Review — a survey letter sent to all addresses in Granite Quarry. In that survey, residents denied the request for a ZIP code change, Aziz said.

Again, Granite Quarry officials are not seeking a ZIP code change.

When a ZIP Code Boundary Review is denied, Aziz said, the municipality requesting the  review is not allowed to request another ZIP Code Review for 10 years.

Brinkley and Feather said they believed the survey, in the way it was written, was skewed toward the best interest of the post office. “And they were the ones who counted it,” Brinkley added.

In 2006, Aziz noted, a special request was sent to the U.S. Postal Service headquarters to allow Granite Quarry customers on Bank, Elm, Maple, Main and Walnut streets to use the last line of “Granite Quarry, NC 28146” on their mailings.

Aziz acknowledged those changes were allowed because mail delivery on those streets was being confused with other areas.

Aldermen said confusion still occurs.

Alderman Arin Wilhelm said he recently had to guide a tow truck into an address in Granite Quarry because the driver was looking for a Salisbury address. “Duke Power can’t find Granite Quarry,” Brinkley complained.

Feather asked and received his fellow board members’ permission to draft a letter to the town’s congressional representation for help on the mail delivery.

“Remember,” he said before reading Aziz’s letter out loud, “this is your Postal Service.”

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.