Large response saves post office

Joan Gronowski beamed a wide smile Tuesday morning when she heard the news that the Spring Hill Plaza branch post office has been taken off the chopping block and will remain open.

Gronowski called it a "wonderful, wonderful thing" and will please people in the area, many of whom are elderly and cannot drive long distances to the next post office.

"People who live here are older and this is so convenient for them." Gronowksi said.

The U.S. Postal Service had considered closing the branch at 7341 Spring Hill Drive and about 400 others throughout the country.

But the site, located close to Kass Circle, was saved.

"They're off the list," said Gary Sawtelle, postal spokesman for the Suncoast District.

Sawtelle acknowledged that it was the large public response that proved to be the determining factor.

"I'm sure people there are very happy," Sawtelle said.

Originally, the postal service announced in August about 1,000 post offices nationwide were being eyed for shuttering or consolidation. That list has now been whittled down to 241.

Faced with a drop-off in customers and a reported loss of $3.8 billion at the end of its 2009 fiscal year in October, the service was looking to cut costs.

Frank Camilliti, owner of Frank's Tailor Shop adjacent to the post office, said he believes postal officials changed their mind because they were inundated by e-mails from concerned citizens. He also credits a petition drive by the community.

He'd also like to think he and other merchants in Spring Hill Plaza played a part when they erected "Save our Spring Hill Post Office" signs in the windows.

"I'm happy as a lark," said Camilliti, who depends on the post office to bring customer traffic to his store.

Mary Ann Mihan of Spring Hill said she frequently uses the Kass Circle branch because the location closest to her house, off Philatelic Drive, is too swamped with customers.

However, one look at the long line at the Spring Hill Plaza site Tuesday, and she promptly left that one, too.