Temporary closing of Northgate Post Office surprises residents

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – An unexplained, temporary closure of the Northgate Post Office in College Station surprised residents when they went to mail off packages and pick up their mail on Monday.

One resident told KBTX she attempted to go to the post office on Friday, but it was also closed then.

It was the same story on Monday when person after person came up to send off their mail. When they were told it was closed many were shocked and confused since the schedule posted online and on the door said it’s open from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The locker room was still accessible, but the area where a postal worker would check or hand off packages was dark and locked.

Nothing was posted anywhere to indicate the post office was closed.

“Of course, I’m surprised, no sign, I want to get this stuff into the mail before Christmas and now I live in a nearby neighborhood and they probably think it’s not that essential but they cut it down to it looks like one guy and he’s not here you can’t get in to see if he’s here behind the counter or what,” said College Station resident Kathryn Lindsay.

Another person who went to get her mail, Debbie Carlson said she is the president of a local non-profit based on the Texas A&M Campus that has used the post office for a couple of decades.

“It’s curious because it seems like in the last few months the staff has gotten small,” Carlson said. ” “It does seem rather ominous that it was closed today and I’m fairly certain that it was open last week, but it seems like the number of options of services that they have traditionally provided is dwindling.”

USPS did send a statement to KBTX. It said in part “The Northgate Post Office has been operating under its normal schedule with no disruption to mail pickup or retail services. However, today, Dec. 18, operating hours at the office were temporarily adjusted, due to an unexpected issue.”

It was not elaborated as to what that unexpected issue was, but USPS said local management has addressed the issue and made adjustments so that the post office will open on Tuesday.

Those who stopped by say the post office is important not only for those who live in the area but for students.

“I’m aware that many students especially international students rely on this post office, so It’s obviously a cause of concern for them if it were to disappear simply because going to the next nearest post office is College Station or Bryan or I occasionally go to the one in Wellborn,” Carlson said.