BETHESDA POST OFFICE PLANS TO REMOVE OUTDOOR MAILBOX IN AUGUST (PHOTOS)

The U.S. Post Office at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Bethesda plans to remove one of its two outdoor mailboxes on August 21, 2014. According to a note posted on the mailbox, the removal is due to low demand. 

I can't argue with that. This is a minor issue compared to the many problems that remain after the debacle that was the Bethesda Post Office decision. No convenient parking. No functionally-accessible parking for the disabled near the post office entrance. No drive-by dropboxes for letters and packages. And not within easy walking distance of a major portion of downtown Bethesda.

Until the county can come to grips with the outstanding issues that remain with the new post office, a reduction to one mailbox seems trivial.

No convenient parking,
and no functionally-accessible
parking for the disabled

The consolidation of downtown
Bethesda's 2 post offices into
this location remains an
unsolved mystery

Who in Montgomery County
was involved in the selection
of 6900 Wisconsin Avenue, and
who wasn't involved?

7001 ARLINGTON ROAD LUXURY APARTMENTS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - FORMER BETHESDA POST OFFICE SITE (PHOTOS)

We gave up a convenient US Post Office for this?! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, here is the site of the former Arlington Road post office in downtown Bethesda.

There's no tower crane yet, but there is a lot of mud, junk and... possibly the least profitable Pepsi vending machine location in America.

This is the Pepsi Generation in MoCo: developers and politicians laughing all the way to the bank, while taxpayers are walking all the way to the poorly chosen new post office site.

The post office closure decision joins New Coke, the new MySpace and the Microsoft Zune in the "What were they thinking?" file.

USPS real estate guy at public meeting: "Uh, we need surface parking, and loading docks, and room to turn 18-wheelers around."

You just described the facility you just tore down! This is sheer lunacy.

BETHESDA POST OFFICE PUBLIC MEETING TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM

The US Postal Service is holding a public meeting tonight at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Services Center, at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, regarding the new post office that will be located in the 20816 zip code of Bethesda.

It is unclear exactly what the agenda is, or whether the public will be allowed to speak.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 PM, on the 2nd Floor, in Room D.

What's won't be much of a surprise, is that the post office will be located in either Westwood Center II, or The Shops at Sumner Place.  Because, unless a private business along MacArthur Boulevard is redeveloped as a post office, those 2 shopping centers are the only places with vacancies at the moment.

DEMOLITION OPERATIONS BEGIN AT BETHESDA ARLINGTON ROAD POST OFFICE (PHOTOS)

Demolition of the old Bethesda Post Office on Arlington Road is getting underway. The building was not known for its grand architecture, but was a highly-functional Post Office with plenty of free, surface parking.

One can't help but feel nostalgic after attempting to utilize the new post office with no parking at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue.

HISTORIC BETHESDA POST OFFICE NOW UP FOR LEASE (PHOTOS)

EXCLUSIVE

Work has been going on inside the old Bethesda Post Office on Wisconsin Avenue, near the Hyatt Bethesda hotel, for weeks. Now the historic building is on the market.  The postal branch was turned over to Donohoe development last year, in a rapid closure of all of Bethesda post offices that raised questions about the level of developer and politician involvement.

The new post office at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue has no convenient parking for customers, much less customers with disabilities.  It is also too far from the center of town.

Only now is the property on the market for lease, because the USPS blundered in its negotiations, and was forced to pay Donohoe rent until now. That despite having vacated last year.

USPS has made no effort to find a new downtown site, and also never followed through on its promise to open a second branch in the 20816 zip code.

NEWS EXPRESS INSTALLS STOREFRONT SIGN, MAILBOXES (PHOTOS)

News Express, downtown Bethesda's newest convenience store and newsstand, has installed a permanent sign over its future Cordell Avenue storefront.

Another intriguing addition is the bank of post office boxes, which strongly hints that the functioning U.S. Post Office in the old News Express could be returning at the new location.

That would be good news for residents and businesses in the northern part of downtown Bethesda, who are not within easy walking distance of the nutty new post office location at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue.  Contrary to political and media assertions, the failings of 6900 and its lack of parking persist, and have absolutely not been resolved to the satisfaction of residents.

BETHESDA POST OFFICE PARKING "SOLUTION" NO SOLUTION AT ALL

12 QUESTIONS

LOCAL MEDIA

MUST ASK

VAN HOLLEN, ET AL

Was I right again, or not?  On August 9, ABC7 reported that Congressman Chris Van Hollen would announce a solution to the Bethesda Post Office parking fiasco "next week."

A long 3 weeks later, we finally got a "solution" yesterday.  And as I warned you, it truly is no solution at all.

I have to think that real people who live in Bethesda, and have to mail things, are going to go ballistic when they hear this.

What is the "solution" Van Hollen and the USPS came up with?

Park in the Adagio garage off Bradley Boulevard.

"He's joking, right?"

Park in the Adagio garage?!

That was free advice the BCC Services Center had offered to try to help residents in the short term.  But it was never considered a "solution."

The only new twist is that your parking will be validated.  But that does nothing to solve the issue of the distance between the customer's car, and the 6900 Wisconsin Avenue Post Office.  This is not a handicapped space a few steps from the entrance.  Not to mention that the Adagio garage can get cramped at certain times of the day.  And holiday crowds.  And no drive-up drop boxes.  And anti-car politicians encouraging people to drive to an out-of-the-way post office.

But if Van Hollen and the media say something, that makes it so, right?

"Parking solution for Bethesda USPS customers" - Gazette headline

"This solution..." - Kelvin Williams, USPS

"I look forward to hearing from constituents as we continue to work on this issue" - Chris Van Hollen

Well, to borrow a line from the new Post Office's neighbor Verizon,

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Van Hollen didn't even take action on the post office issue until June 19.  I had already exposed the fact that 6900 Wisconsin Avenue could never work, all the way back on April 4!!

Where was Van Hollen between April 4 and June 19?  And he's not the only one to blame.  Montgomery County councilmembers George Leventhal, Nancy Floreen, Marc Elrich, Hans Reimer and Roger Berliner all represent Bethesda.

Why were none of them involved in the closure and consolidation of 2 post offices, in an area with a large senior population?  And in a county where 1 out of every 10 citizens is disabled?

It was the most bread and butter constituent issue a politician could ever deal with.

We know that USPS was rushed and pressured to get out of the Metro Center and Arlington Road post offices, and that private developers were eager to get started on projects there.

It's long past due for the media to ask Van Hollen, Leventhal, Floreen, Elrich, Riemer and Berliner the following questions:

1.  When were you first informed USPS was closing every post office in downtown Bethesda?

2.  Describe specifically your involvement in the search process for a new post office.

3.  When did you know 6900 Wisconsin Avenue was under consideration?

4.  Were you familiar with 6900 Wisconsin, and the parking issues there?

5.  Did you personally tour the 6900 site, knowing that this would be the only post office for your downtown Bethesda constituents?

6.  If so, did you register a complaint?  Produce a copy of that communication.

7.  If not, why weren't you involved in a search process with such great impact on your constituents?

8.  On what date did you become aware 6900 had no parking?

9.  Itemize the specific actions you took to prevent USPS from finalizing this site.

10.  Did you formally or informally "sign off" on the final selection of 6900?  If not, why weren't you involved?

11.  Have you received campaign contributions from developers of either former post office site, or any entity related to those developers?

12.  Detail any verbal, telephonic, written and/or electronic dialogue you and your staff have had with those developers in the last 12 months.

This is just Journalism 101, folks.  These are the questions that a journalist who questions everything would have asked by now.

So start asking them!

Bethesda doesn't need fake solutions.  We need a post office.  Now.

NO WAY TO SPIN BETHESDA POST OFFICE DEBACLE

ABC7 has finally discovered - with a little help from panicked Montgomery County politicians - that the new Bethesda post office at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue has no parking... ...oh, just 4 months after I first wrote about it here on this blog.

Unfortunately, the channel was being used by the county officials who are actually to blame for the whole fiasco.

After waiting for over 2 months, the county establishment is now bringing all of its insider power to bear on anyone and everyone who could potentially provide parking for postal customers.  It's being made abundantly clear to those entities that it is in their best interest to comply.  Now.

Publicly, however, the media appears willing to present a different narrative:  that all of this was a complete surprise, and that Chris Van Hollen (and possibly other yet-to-speak-publicly officials) is going to come to the heroic rescue of the citizens of Bethesda.

Ha.

Enough with the baloney.

There's no way you can put a positive spin on an overpaid Congressman and county council not being involved in the process of closing every post office in town, and selecting a new site.  That is the most basic, bread-and-butter constituent service issue a politician could ever confront.  And they just weren't engaged.  What were they doing instead?

Now Channel 7 is saying, "sources tell ABC7" that a solution will be announced next week.  Well, of course it is.  But it will literally be too little, and too late.

Hence the spin machines are working overtime.

But there are only heroes in white hats in the imaginations of the politicians of Montgomery County.  We need a new post office, with drive-up drop boxes, ample parking and in walking distance of downtown residents.  Period.  And, we need a full investigation - media and otherwise - of what Van Hollen and the council knew about the post office decision process, and when they knew it.

Now that's a story for ABC7!

VAN HOLLEN VS. USPS RE: BETHESDA POST OFFICE IS A FARCE FOR THE AGES

Congressman Chris Van Hollen released an "I really, really mean it this time" letter yesterday, grandstanding over the 6900 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda Post Office fiasco.

Van Hollen certainly knows how to provide a good chuckle to start the day.

By day's end, the USPS had once again asserted its primacy over our stumbling congressman, who was left wildly but ineffectually swinging at the Postal Service, which held him off at arms length.

Van Hollen is no dummy - keep in mind, he actually beat a Kennedy in Montgomery County (in Sargent Shriver's backyard, no less!) to get his seat.

But his two letters - written long after the new Post Office had already opened, and even longer after I had exposed the folly of the new location this past Spring - are an entirely farcical exercise.

Beyond the fact that USPS continues to ignore him, the larger question remains unasked by local media:

Did Van Hollen and the Montgomery County Council

a) Pay no attention to a matter as significant as the closure of two Post Offices in an area with many senior citizens, and have no familiarity with the town of Bethesda they represent, to the extent that they had no idea there was no parking at the selected site?

OR

b) participate in the relocation process, and give their approval to the move, despite the reality that there was no parking?

Either answer is embarrassing for these elected officials.

The county and national Democratic Party is letting Van Hollen twist in the wind for a while on this, partly as punishment for his failure to stop the Tea Party victories of 2010.

Pretty soon they'll step in to save him, though, and it won't be of much help to Bethesda.

That establishment is now floating the idea of reopening the historic Post Office near the Bethesda Metro station.  That would take care of the "walkability" issue for many downtown residents.

However, the 7400 Wisconsin Avenue site would do absolutely nothing to solve the problems for those who need to drive, are disabled, or are senior citizens who cannot walk safely and require vehicle access.  It is the loss of the former Arlington Road facility, with its ample parking and drive-up mailboxes, that is most devastating to the Bethesda community.

The fact is, this was a rush job allowed by local politicians to open the two sites for development as quickly as possible.  USPS has acknowledged it acted under great pressure.

Van Hollen is right; we need a new downtown Post Office.  The problem is, I wrote about that need last Spring, it was even linked to by Bethesda Patch, and yet Van Hollen had not a word to say about it at that time.

Then it opened, his constituents went nuts when they found out there was no parking, and all of a sudden Van Hollen is blustering and grandstanding.

Instead of answers to tough questions, we the taxpayers are being treated to a farcical fiasco.

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN ON NEW BETHESDA POST OFFICE: "WHAT ROBERT DYER SAID."

Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D - 8th District) made his first public statement on the Bethesda Post Office fiasco yesterday, and it was remarkably similar to what I said three months ago.

He said we need a different location.

Duh!

It's clear that Mr. Van Hollen and the Montgomery County Council either lack familiarity with downtown Bethesda, or were not engaged in the process of selecting a new post office site for their most affluent constituents.  Many of whom are senior citizens.

Both cases are likely true, especially given the number of carpetbaggers on the council.

What is a bigger issue for a politician than the location of a post office?  This would be one of those hot button situations like the placement of a school or substation.

These are the kind of bread and butter issues that, when handled with great attention, diplomacy and a small amount of common sense, earn respect for politicians like Howard Denis or Barbara Mikulski even among their partisan opponents.  And - judging by the Denis/Mikulski records - keep them in office.

Managing a post office move is just the sort of close-to-home matter we elect politicians to deal with.  To represent our interests.  And to prevent from becoming a fiasco, which this has.

At least Van Hollen is speaking out now.  Not a single member of the county council has spoken about the post office issue as of this morning.

Where have these politicians been?  What have they been doing?

But despite Van Hollen's political power and large staff, all he can say is... what Robert Dyer said.

Three months ago.

The fact is, there simply is no space for parking at this site.  Any agreement now reached under political pressure will not provide adequate spaces for the customer base of an entire town.

We should be glad one politician has belatedly gotten religion on the post office issue.

"We need a new post office."

We need new leadership.

PAUL BLART: MAIL COP

WACKY NEW BETHESDA POST OFFICE

STILL HAS NO PARKING, BUT A COP

TO LET YOU KNOW

Patrons of Bethesda's new "post office" quickly learned that federal, state, local and postal officials had approved a site that had no parking for postal customers.

Beleagured citizens were victims of predatory towing, when attempting to park in the lot next to the building at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue.  The lot seems like the logical place to park.  In reality, it is only for customers of the mattress store and Verizon Wireless.

A month has gone by, and politicians have yet to provide a single parking space.

But a "mail cop" is now on duty at the mattress/Verizon lot to tell you to "get off their lawn" if you try to drop off that birthday card for grandma.

It's not Verizon's fault, or the mattress folks' by any means.  That's their lot, for their customers, they pay for it, and have a right to keep others out.

It's not their fault that the USPS chose an inaccessible location for an "urban" post office.

The real shock is that USPS was able to get away with it.

I believe I was the first person to point out the problems with the site, long before it opened.  That was before it was even known that the too-tiny lot was going to be off-limits.

Being a lifelong resident, such a site proposal immediately sounded crazy to me.

But local politicians apparently lack my familiarity with downtown Bethesda.  They had not word one to say about it.

Local media bought into the USPS PR, even parroting the talking points that "parking will be available" and that the site was "walking distance from Metro."  Just check a map!

As of today, not a single member of the Montgomery County Council has publicly commented on the postal fiasco.  A post office with no parking.  How do you ignore something like that?  Too many steak dinners with developer lobbyists (the Post Office swap was rushed to create project opportunities for two developers on the old postal sites)?  Too busy approving sales of public parking lots to developers?

And what of Chris Van Hollen?  Yet to be quoted, his office claimed to be working on the issue belatedly weeks ago.

No results so far.  Just Paul Blart, Mail Cop out there.  Van Hollen is often touted by just about everyone for his political skills, genius intellect and command of the issues.  But he didn't find anything wrong with 6900 as a postal site when it was announced.  And I'm assuming closure of your constituents' post offices would be kind of on your Congressional radar.

What can anyone do?  The parking just isn't there to begin with.  Smart politicians would have put the brakes on 6900 immediately.

Fortunately for them, they're not taking any criticism from the local media for a blatantly obvious disaster that is - absolutely - partly their fault.

And that's going to keep the untenable postal parking situation going for quite a while.  No heat? No fallout?  No parking.

Ain't it cool?

Do I have any advice for would-be postal patrons trying to park, who find the advice of parking in a garage 2 blocks away to be not exactly helpful?

Uh, maybe wear pajamas, hold up your phone, and ask, "Can you hear me now?" when the mail cop "pulls you over," and convince him you're going to buy a mattress and a new data plan?

Conversely, is it time to join the "throw the bums out" movement that was in every newspaper yesterday?  Meaning, vote everybody on the council off in 2014.  And even if they are just 9 new Democrats, wouldn't that be an improvement over the current situation of failure, taxoholic spending and ignorance of basic issues, like where senior citizens can mail a letter?  You know, the folks who pay the councilmembers' massive CEO-style salaries?

In one of the wealthiest, most-educated areas in the world, we have a post office with no parking, and no one is talking about it.  Much less doing anything.

Except Paul Blart.

"Segway Parking Only."

FIASCO! NEW BETHESDA POST OFFICE HAS NO PARKING FOR POSTAL CUSTOMERS!!!

WARNING:

POSTAL CUSTOMERS

COULD BE TOWED AWAY!

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

Ashton Kutcher is apparently now Postmaster General, folks.

Remember my expose months back about the nutty location choice of 6900 Wisconsin Avenue for Bethesda's new Post Office?

And how I pointed out the small lot, without enough spaces for USPS customers?

It just got worse.

Turns out, you can't even park in that lot!  Despite USPS claims to the media that "parking would be available," there is currently zero parking available for post office customers.

Bethesda Chevy Chase Services Center Director Ken Hartman is alerting Bethesda residents to the fact that they may find their cars towed away, if they park in the building's adjacent lot.  He urges you to park at the Staples/CVS garage, and walk over.  Definitely good advice.

This revelation has turned a terrible location choice into a complete fiasco.

A post office.  With no parking.

Is this going to be in the late night monologues, or what?

This is an absolute disgrace.  A wealthy city like Bethesda has a completely inaccessible Post Office.  Why have a post office at all, at this rate?

The new site should have been centrally located, in a walkable area with parking nearby.

Apparently, the USPS did not even do due diligence in securing parking for its customers.

And local politicians didn't even review the basic details, or notice what a crazy location it was.

Now, suddenly, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D) "has learned of this situation and is working with the US Postal Service to come up with a solution."

What were these guys doing when the decisions were being made?

Are they going to pay the towing charges for innocent customers?

All this because elected officials put the developers first, instead of their constituents.

Embarrassing.

TIME TO "DWELL" ON

WACKY LOCATION

FOR NEW BETHESDA

POST OFFICE

Is 6900 Wisconsin Avenue Really the

Ideal Mail Hub for the Future of Bethesda?

You may have taken note of vague media announcements regarding the closure of Bethesda's post offices, and the "consolidation" of two mail operations into one new location at 6900 Wisconsin Avenue.

But no one is really talking about where that new post office will be, and the consequences of selecting that location.

Now, before we consider that, here's Grandpa, about to head out to mail in his tax return to the IRS. Grandpa lives in a building near the Bethesda Metro Center, and it's going to be quite a walk. So let's give Grandpa a head start here. OK, he's got his coat and hat on. He's picked up the cane. And he's off to the races...6900 Wisconsin Avenue.

While he's staggering along 355, let's consider this building at 6900 Wisconsin Ave. It has a modest parking lot between it and a mattress store. Behind the building is a sort of alleyway, which gives access to the rear garage doors of 6900, as well as some garden apartments.

This alley is accessible from both Leland St./Woodmont Ave, and Bradley Blvd. There is a narrow staircase that runs up to the future post office's surface lot. However, this alley is - by nature - narrow, and not really designed for heavy, bidirectional vehicle traffic. I'm not sure that the 6900 garage is even open to the public, or how many spaces it has.

How's Grandpa doing? He's made it as far as the Apex Building. Getting a little tired. Heading into Regal for a Coke.

Anyway, it's not clear at this point how the 6900 site will handle two post offices' worth of foot and vehicular traffic. The county, the developer, and the Postal Service are not volunteering answers, and the politicians and journalists don't seem too inclined to ask any questions. Maybe they've got a genius solution, but wouldn't it have been a good idea to tell us up front.

All I know is, the 6900 lot has less than half of the spaces the Arlington Rd. post office has. And 355 is a state highway. The current post office is a notorious congestion point on Arlington Road. But it's one of many such points in the Bethesda Row area, and is probably a positive for pedestrian safety on the busy crosswalk ahead of it.

Imagine that volume of traffic now zipping (crawling?) in and out of 6900 during rush hour. Yikes. Assuming they'll put a time limit on the spaces, the ingress and egress is bound to cause dist-ress. Can they allow the public into that garage? Will people illegally park in the alley, and run up the back stairs to mail something?

OK, Grandpa's as far as Starbucks now...

People like Grandpa, who live near the center of town, or even farther north in "Old Town" Bethesda simply aren't going to be willing and/or able to walk that many blocks. So they are likely to drive, and who could blame them? But Government and developers keep telling us they're going to "get people out of their cars" and make walkable communities. So why are they letting the USPS move to 6900?

It seems these days that there is no adult supervision for politicians and planners. Want to build something without the infrastructure to support it, while you make the profit and the taxpayer picks up the tab? Done. The folks are away, and the bigshots are throwing a party. We don't need a well-planned, underground subway; just throw some surface rail or bus line up so we can build, build, build!

Shouldn't Bethesda's main post office for the next 100 years be centrally-located in the urban core? After all, it is a basic utility everyone uses. You'd think the politicians could have worked out a deal to put the post office in the ground floor of one of these lackluster, boutique buildings they've approved recently, closer to the center of town.

The USPS chose not to reopen in the future development at its current Arlington Rd. site, Dwell Bethesda. There are no pictures of the proposal so far, but the name is already getting things off to a bad start. "Dwell Bethesda?!" And the historic Wisconsin Avenue Post Office, complete with Madonna of the Trail statue, adds no value to the community as a private building for the private profit of Donohoe, the new owner.

But the big problem is that both sites - which together provided walking-distance mail services to all of downtown Bethesda - are closing at once. Forever. And the new location woefully underserves the urban population.

Forget about the farmers market moving; this is the issue Action Committee for Transit should be at least equally concerned about. Farmers markets are informal affairs that can be moved at will, and it is certain to return to Bethesda Row once The Darcy opens.

But the post office is going to be stuck at 6900, way out of walking distance for the average busy person. For many decades. It's just poor planning, but it's probably too late to stop the process now. Just tell us what the plan is. Can the Bethesda Circulator add the Post Office, Safeway and Bradley Shopping Center to its route sometimes? That might be an easy but insufficient fix. Are they going to somehow expand parking, since they've chosen a site beyond walking distance?

And don't say we won't use mail in the future. Unless you know how to squeeze that box of shoes-that-were-the-wrong-size into the USB port, so you can email them back for a refund!

So let's check back on Grandpa. He's finally made it down to the new post office. The sun is going down. He's going in! He's mailing his package! He's coming out! Uh-oh! He's starting to get a chest pain from overexertion. Fortunately, the new post office is convenient to CVS, and Grandpa can get a refill on his heart medication. At least it's convenient for something!