2018-01-29 Letter to Dean Cameron re Ocean View Post Office

Home

-01YOFN,' ce*c !�.' WilOkabe �66u; Managing l,.� Director Harry Kim +; `�. :t Mayor • -_ Barbara J.Kossow • Oi.':°• Deputy Managing Director , County of Hawai i Office of the Mayor 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 • (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C • Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 January 29, 2018 Dean Cameron Implementation Real Estate Specialist 1300 Evans Avenue, Suite 200 San Francisco, California 94188-8200 Dear Mr. Cameron, RE: Ocean View Post Office The County of Hawai'i applauds the United States Postal Service for proposing to change the Ocean View Post Office to a Postal Service - operated retail facility. Such expanded service would offer many benefits to the greater community of Ocean View and the adjacent rural areas. Ocean View is one of the State and the County of Hawai'i's fastest-growing communities, including a large immigrant population. The 2010 U.S. Census indicated a 104% increase in population over the prior decade for a total of 4,437 residents or 52.5% of the population of the Ka'u district. It is common knowledge that based upon the availability of inexpensive land and housing in the area, the population growth has continued unabated since the last census. Despite this rapid growth, the Ocean View community continues to have limited retail and other business services, and public services are limited to the existing post office, a state highway, public school transportation and county bus service. To access all other services requires extended drive time and related expense. The proposed expanded postal services would offer a tremendous opportunity for residents and the existing local businesses to shorten their commutes for mail services. Case in point, the closest full-service post offices are located in Na'alehu, a 20-minute drive 14 miles away, or in Kealakekua at 35 miles and 50 minutes away and from Oceanview Post Office. The Honaunau post office is a short distance than the County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.