VILLAGE OF AURORA: Planning Board, Minutes of February 11, 2004
...As for the possible relocation of the post office, [Mayor] Gunderson reported that USPS officials at the meeting held in January expressed their surprise at an inquiry about relocation. If the plan were to go through, the USPS would require the demolition of the current post office building to allow for truck ingress and egress to the Old Post Office Building....
THE AUBURN CITIZEN newspaper article of March 23, 2004 titled: "Aurora Post Office May Move"
...The Aurora Foundation, village officials and the U.S. Postal Service are looking into whether the post office should relocate next door into the Heary Building, ... The lower echelon at the U.S. Postal Service's real estate division in Connecticut has given preliminary approval but a final decision hasn't been made, said local postmaster Dave Kulakowski. ...The Aurora Foundation... is in the middle of gutting the [Heary] building's interior....The current post office... would be torn down and be turned into a parking lot....
EMAIL TO AURORA RESIDENT from USPS Regional Real Estate Manager Paul Senk, 6/8/04:
...On Jan. 21, ...[USPS officials] visited the Aurora Post Office to listen to a proposal to relocate the Aurora post office...It was clearly indicated that such a relocation would be motivated by the request of the Village of Aurora and not by the facilities requirements of the Postal Service....Ms. DeMaio mentioned several times that since the proposed alternate space was privately owned, competitive offers would have to be publicly solicited...Following project approval, a number of regulatory reviews are required, including the Section 106 Review. It would not be appropriate to initiate those reviews at this time.
LETTER TO MAYOR Tom Gunderson from USPS officer Paul Senk, 6/23/04:
...It has come to my attention that the Village of Aurora believes that the Postal Service approved the relocation of the Aurora, NY main office. At the present time no approval has been made and the relocation is ot being formally considered...
EMAIL TO AURORA RESIDENT from USPS Regional Federal Preservation Officer Bill Moncrief 10/19/04:
...As I carefully explained at the public meeting [on 10/12/04], we were at the step of the initial public informational meeting... I am sorry that you were misinformed that the purpose of the public meeting was not to initiate a public comment period,... I explained that I would not be taking the step to advertise for alternative locations in this case...As I explained, at the meeting , I had taken some pictures earlier in the day to include with my letter whereby I would be initiating the appropriate Section 106 Review with the New York State Historic Preservation Office. ...
LETTER TO STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION Office from USPS officer Bill Moncrief 10/19/04:
...We have initiated the Community Contact process and held an initial public meeting in Aurora. As the Postal Service considers this specific opportunity, and as we receive and review and respond to public input of the citizens of Aurora, we would also like to begin the 106 process with this notice...
LETTER TO THE NATIONAL TRUST for Historic Preservation Regional Counsel from USPS officer Paul Senk, 12/17/04
...At this time, the Postal Service does not have any plans to demolish the present post office building...the relocation proposed by the Village has not progressed beyond the discussion stage...The disposition of the property housing the present post office would ultimately be the responsibility of the property owner, not the Postal Service. ... My office would be pleased to include the Northeast Office of the Historic Trust as a consulting party under Section 106 of the NHPA if and when an undertaking is initiated.
LETTER TO MAYOR Gunderson from USPS officer Paul Senk, 6/9/05
The Northeast Facilities Service Office has received concept approval to proceed with the proposed relocation of the Aurora post office. ...An important next step for this project will be to meet with you and other appropriate local officials to discuss the postal facility requirements, and discuss the process by which the Postal Service will solicit and consider input from the affected community. Following that meeting, we will request placement on a village government public meeting agenda, so that the project can be described and discussed.
[But this step already took place with a public meeting, comment period, and Section 106 Review back in October!]
