The Bedford Park community is giving themselves a pat on the back and rightfully so.  After months of petitioning, rallying elected officials, and pleading their case to postal agencies, they accomplished their mission of removing their local post office, the Botanical Station located on Webster Avenue, from the national list of post offices being considered for consolidation.   

“We are delighted,” said Barbara Stronzer, president of the Bedford Mosholu Community Association, who spearheaded anti-closing efforts by collecting close to 700 petition signatures from neighborhood residents and local merchants.   

“I feel that the entire community worked together, not only the community centers that drove the petitions, but help from elected officials, local institutions, The Botanical Garden, and Fordham University,” Stronzer said. 

Fernando Tirado, the district manager of Community Board 7, echoed Stronzer’s sentiments. “I am relieved and happy to see that the residents were able to rally around their post office and convince them to keep it open,” he said.

The fate of the Botanical Station initially came into jeopardy last fall when the United States Postal Service, facing a $7 billion dollar deficit and a decline in mail volume, announced the possible consolidation of services nationwide, including 15 New York City offices, seven of which were in the Bronx. 

Since that time, Tirado and other community members have testified on the Botanical Station’s behalf numerous times, including in front of the Postal Regulatory Committee, in an effort to convince the advisory agency that the loss of their post office would be a devastating blow to the community, especially its elderly citizens.

“It is used much more frequently than we’re led to believe by the post office,” said Tirado.  He also believes that the area’s upcoming rezoning initiative, to attract more residents, will ensure the Botanical Station’s future.  “We are looking to rezone all of Webster Avenue and therefore generate the traffic that the postmaster says was not there.”

Despite the Bedford community’s relief, Darleen Reid-DeMeo, a USPS spokesperson, would not confirm the Botanical Station’s immunity despite its removal from the infamous closure list. 

“I would hate to mislead people, so I cannot confirm it,” she said. “I would draw the same conclusions, (that if it’s not on list, it will stay open), but I cannot confirm it.” All final decisions will be made in January.    

However, the pending outcome hasn’t overshadowed Tirado’s certainty. “I feel confident that we have the station saved,” he said. “There was too much justification to keep it open. It wouldn’t make sense to reverse the decision now.”

Three other Bronx offices were also removed from the consolidation list: Clason Point, Hillside and Melcourt. The Crotona Park, Van Nest, and Oak Point offices are still on the list.