As a result of studies begun five months ago, the Postal Service has made the decision to move mail processing operations from the Roanoke and Lynchburg Post Offices. Once the transfers are completed, the mail processing operations at these facilities will cease. There will be no change to the retail unit or business mail entry unit at any of these facilities at this time.
Workers met with the district manager behind closed doors and were told that the Roanoke and Lynchburg processing centers had to close to save money for theU.S. Postal Service.
The move could also impact as many as 500 workers. The Lynchburg office on Odd Fellows Road has 155 employees and Roanoke’s Rutherford Ave facility has almost 360 people.
Mail leaving the area would also be post-marked “Greensboro†rather than “Lynchburg†or “Roanoke” under the consolidation plan. Customers who want mail post-marked Lynchburg would have to go to the main post office on Odd Fellows Road to have it hand-stamped.
It was announced last fall that both plants were on a list of 252 processing facilities nationwide under consideration for consolidation or closure. In December, the postal service announced it would not make closures or consolidations before May 15 to give the federal government time to propose an alternate plan. This delay was designed to allow Congress sufficient time to enact comprehensive postal legislation. In the meantime, the Postal Service continued all necessary steps required for the review of these facilities, including public notifications, public input meetings and consideration of public comments.
“Specific dates haven’t been set for any of our network changes,†Yarosky said. That includes the 3,700 post office branches nationwide under study for possible closure — a list that names local branches in downtown Lynchburg; Coleman Falls and Lowry in Bedford County; Long Island, in Campbell County; and Montebello, in Nelson County.
“The decision to consolidate mail processing facilities recognizes the urgent need to reduce the size of the national mail processing network to eliminate costly underutilized infrastructure,†said Chief Operating Officer Megan Brennan. “Consolidating operations is necessary if the Postal Service is to remain viable to provide mail service to the nation.â€
Implementation of these consolidations is contingent upon the outcome of pending rulemaking for a proposal to revise existing service standards. This announcement is provided in advance so that appropriate planning and notification can be made in accordance with existing employee agreements.
A list of  mail processing studies and their status is available at usps.com/ourfuturenetwork. Specific information about individual studies, including public meeting summaries and summary briefs, is posted on the website, usps.com/areamailprocessing, as it becomes available.