An independent review of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) decision that closed its Freehold Downtown Station on Lafayette Street in Freehold Borough describes the USPS final decision to shut down the site as “seriously flawed” with numerous “deficiencies,” and even stated the procedures used by the USPS were “contrary to law,” said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04).

“This is clear evidence that the U.S. Postal Service decision to close the downtown station was based on poor information,” said Smith, who worked with local, state, county and municipal officials to reverse an earlier USPS decision to close the station in 2009.  “This scathing review shows the facility was wrongly closed. It should be reopened—that’s the bottom line. The study is a landmark document for this issue. It’s the first independent analysis of the flawed decision to close the Freehold Downtown Station.”

The study noted that the USPS doesn’t adequately address customer concerns, and recommends the PRC remand the USPS’s Final Determination to close the Freehold Borough facility back to the USPS to address shortcomings. Click here to read the full review.

Written by the public representative of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the study shows that the expected savings resulting from the closure are much lower than USPS claims of over $153,000.  It estimated the likely savings to be closer to $39,500, and notes the station had revenues in excess of $660,000 for each of the past three years, noting “These revenues are over 4 times the magnitude of the alleged cost savings relied upon by the Postal Service. This was not a facility that was losing money.”

The study strongly questioned the procedures used by the Postal Service in its analysis. “Its essential findings are not supported by substantial evidence,” the report said. The review was requested by the Freehold Center Management Corp.—a non-profit group that promotes economic activity and revitalization in Freehold Borough—and by Freehold Borough and Freehold Township, in the form of a petition to the PRC.

In every one of the 21 counties in New Jersey, the town which hosts the county government and all its services has its own postal facility, some more than one. Eight of those are in towns smaller than Freehold Borough, and Monmouth County is the fourth largest county in the state. The downtown station serves over 25,000 people, including many pedestrians who can’t walk the five-mile round trip to the next town. The facility is operated out of a 800-square foot temporary structure.

“The community is ill-served by the closing, and the Postal Service itself loses revenue,” Smith said. “It was not a good decision and this review clearly demonstrates that.”

Smith co-hosted meetings between the USPS with local officials, including Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry, Borough Mayor Michael Wilson and Committee members, and Freehold Township officials. He had repeatedly asked USPS officials to stop the closing based on the high usage, importance to residents and other factors.

    The community has opposed the shifting of the business at the Downtown Station to the heavily used Freehold Township Post Office on much-travelled County Road 537, which is 2.4 miles away to the west in the Raintree Towne Center. An estimated 17,000 residents from the eastern areas of Freehold Township would have an even longer drive. That center is extremely congested, with little parking available in a narrow, bottleneck configuration.

    “The post office’s reasons to close the Lafayette Street facility are unfounded and do not stand up to any objective scrutiny,” Assemblywoman Casagrande said.  “Freehold Borough is a pedestrian community and the county seat of Monmouth County. This facility is vital to many businesses and people who cannot easily reach the Freehold Township Post Office, which is inaccessible to pedestrians. Keep the substation open.”

    The Freehold Downtown Station facility had over 350 rented P.O. boxes, and has been open for about 10 years. It has a spacious parking lot, and is also utilized by significant pedestrian traffic from the nearby county administration offices, the Superior Court complex and State and municipal offices, plus the businesses and offices along Main Street in a two-square mile town which has over 11,500 residents.

    The Downtown Station facility is located on a lot provided by Monmouth County free of charge to the USPS. In the past local officials have offered to help pay for the rent of the USPS trailer.

    The Commission recommended that the Postal Service reconsider the closure decision, and a response to the recommendation is pending.