WHEATFIELD, N.Y. (WKBW) — Just as Whistling Straights neighbors in Wheatfield were settling into life with daily mail delivery, the US Postal Service went back on its decision and will end the new deliveries next month.
"It just feels like a tease, like we didn't even get to enjoy it for long enough," Kyla Walters said.
WATCH: 'We want mail': USPS overturns decision to deliver in Wheatfield neighborhood
After more than two years in this newly built development, Walters is just now starting to enjoy something many of us take for granted: curbside mail service.
For the past 2 years, she and her roughly 40 neighbors have had to drive a mile to PO boxes they paid for at the Sanborn Post Office. That had just recently changed a few weeks ago, when USPS finally started curbside delivery in their neighborhood.
After the Postal Service's change of heart, neighbors added their own mailboxes at their own expense. However, after spending that money, the Postal Service went back on its own decision.
“Mine personally cost $500. It's not a big fancy mailbox," Robert Shilen said. "Now I have a brand new mailbox, and it's worthless again."
A letter from the United States Postal Service's New York 3 District manager, Roselle Murrell, said that the local postmaster made a mistake and lacked the authority to change the delivery mode.
As a result, the final day of curbside deliveries to Walters’ and Shilen’s homes will be August 28.
"A member of your organization said it was approved. We spent the money to accommodate it, all of us, to get the mail in here. Now you went back on your word," Shilen said. "So we want mail service back," Shilen said.
The letter also said that three years ago, centralized delivery was chosen as the mail delivery mode for the development, even though they’ve never had central communal mailboxes, and that since 2012, centralized delivery has been the preferred mode for all new residential developments nationwide.
However, not even 4 miles away, there's a brand-new development being built off Shawnee Road called Wheatfield Crossing, and the first house completed on that street has its own mailbox.
"Why are we being discriminated against? It's obvious discrimination because all around us, people are getting curbside service," Shilen said.
You can read the full letter from USPS here:
Complaints from the residents are reaching the door of US Congressman Tim Kennedy.
“We are standing with the residents, letting the postal service know that they ought to do the right thing,” Kennedy said. “Secondly, if they don’t, we will do whatever we need to do to make it happen… It shouldn’t take an act of Congress to get someone their mail delivery.”In response to this story, I was sent the following statement from USPS:
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