The Prattsburgh Post Office closed last month due to building safety concerns. Since then the Pulteney office has swiftly taken over, but nevertheless some customers can expect changes when it comes to getting their mail.

“Obviously our first concern is to make sure that we are able to provide for the needs of the community. So for those who have street delivery the carriers are still delivering to their addresses. There should be very little interruption,” says Karen Mazurkiewicz, a representative for United States Postal Service Corporate Communications.

“Customers who get their mail through a P.O. Box, they do in fact need to make the trip to a Pulteney to retrieve their mail,” she says.

A section of Route 53 is closed surrounding the post office. Prattsburgh Town Supervisor Leonard McConnell says it has a ripple effect on the community.

“It’s not easy, it’s not going to be easy for a while, but hopefully we’ll get it fixed,” McConnell says.

“Like all small towns it’s not only a service but it’s a gathering place. It’s– especially for some of our older people to have to get to Pulteney to get mail, that’s a hardship,” he says.

McConnell says the biggest issue with the building are the floor joists. He says he believes the building will be torn down rather than repaired.

Both town officials and representatives from USPS have yet to give an estimate on how long it will take to reopen the Prattsburgh office. For now they’re recommending some tips to help make the transition easier for everyone.

“However we have encouraged things like if you have a neighbor who’s going you can certainly put a note authorizing that neighbor to retrieve your mail on your behalf so there are like the system buddy that can certainly work in the interim until we can re-establish services in Prattsburgh,” Mazurkiewicz says.

Mazurkiewicz says you can also use the USPS website to buy things like stamps, envelopes, etc.