Overview:
The Town of Phillipston has requested a unique ZIP code from the U.S. Postal Service after their earlier request for a post office was denied. The town currently shares the 01331 ZIP code with Athol, which causes confusion for residents and affects delivery times. The Selectboard believes that having its own ZIP code will give Phillipston its own identity and help reduce higher costs for property and vehicle insurance.
PHILLIPSTON – Chief Administrative Officer Adam Lamontagne and the Selectboard have sent a letter to U.S. Postal Service officials requesting the town be given its own unique ZIP code.
Board members voted to add their names to the letter at a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The move comes following the Postal Service’s denial of an earlier request that it establish a Post Office in Phillipston. Currently the town shares the 01331 ZIP code assigned to Athol, and Phillipston residents needing to visit a postal facility must travel to Athol to do so.
The original request for a postal facility was sent by Lamontagne in early July. Sara Poyner, manager of government relations correspondence for the U.S. Postal Service, replied in a letter sent later that month stating, “As you may know, the U.S. Postal Service expands existing postal services in response to growth of a community. A new postal facility is generally considered when we cannot satisfy service needs (1) through existing facilities, (2) by adding capacity to existing facilities, or (3) by establishing a Contract Postal Unit at a local business.
“Currently, the existing Post Office in Athol meets our present and projected operational needs, so we have no plans to establish a new Post Office in Phillipston,” the letter added.
Poyner did add, however, that Lamontagne could still attempt to secure a ZIP code unique to Phillipston.
“In response to increasing requests for ZIP code and place name changes, the Postal Service has a uniform review process in which requests received from municipal or community representatives are forwarded to the local district manager,” she wrote. “The manager then conducts a careful analysis of the cost and service implications of the change and determines whether it can be implemented.”
She suggested that Lamontagne “submit a detailed written request for a ZIP Code Boundary Review, along with any rationale and justification, to the Massachusetts-Rhode Island District Manager for consideration.”
Asked about Phillipston’s need for its own ZIP code, Lamontagne said, “The ZIP code is important because, quite frankly, we don’t have our own identity right now. That’s number one,” he said. “It also leads to confusion for folks looking for homes in Phillipston. And also, some roads have the same names in Athol and Phillipston and these affect delivery times. Sometimes people will stop in here at Town Hall looking for directions.”
The letter sent to USPS officials states, “We are formally requesting a ZIP Code Boundary Review with your established procedures for adoption so the Town of Phillipston can have its own ZIP code and identity. Because we are lumped in with the Town of Athol ZIP Code – 01331, the Town of Phillipston community is disproportionately affected with higher costs not limited to property and vehicle insurance.”
While the request for a post office may have been declined, said Lamontagne, “We’re optimistic about the ZIP code because, quite frankly, Baldwinville has one and our population is just slightly less that Baldwinville’s. And Baldwinville is not a town, it’s considered a village of Templeton. Templeton has three post offices and three ZIP codes; one for Templeton, one for East Templeton, and one for Baldwinville. Phillipston should certainly have its own.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.