CORONA DEL MAR : Post Office Seeks to Ease Night Noise

Responding to complaints about late-night noise at the Corona del Mar post office, officials say they may have to significantly scale down the facility’s operations, causing a reduction of mail services for the whole community.

Discussions among residents and representatives of the post office and the city are still under way, but postal officials are recommending that the branch move its carrier operations to the Newport Beach post office and keep only the post office box service open in the Corona del Mar community.

“There will still be a Corona del Mar post office,” said John Clark, a retail analyst for the post office, adding that the area’s zip code also would remain.

Clark said most of the late-hour noise comes from trucks dropping off mail early in the morning so it can be delivered by carriers the next day. Moving the carrier service to Newport Beach would eliminate most of the noise, but there would still be some commotion from the trucks delivering mail that goes in post office boxes, he said.

Clark also warned that a cutback in operations would mean reduced services for all Corona del Mar residents. He said they would have to go to Newport Beach to pick up packages and special letters, and for other services they currently receive in their neighborhood.

“It’s not going to affect just those residents (who have complained of noise), but all the residents of Corona del Mar,” Clark said.

The post office has been a source of community pride since it was built about 25 years ago. Residents say it legitimized the area as a community distinct from the rest of Newport Beach by giving it its own zip code.

About a decade ago, residents were outraged when the post office was slated for closure, and neighbors rallied to save their local landmark.

Last month, however, some residents living near the post office complained that late-night noise was disturbing them. They asked postal officials to consider not working during the late-night hours.

Hector Godinez, a division manager for the post office, said he hopes to reach a solution soon. “I don’t want to see the residents unhappy. Technically, they are our bosses.”