DRAPER -- Two years of headaches and hassles for Draper's City Council were ended in just 10 minutes Tuesday when it relented to public pressure and voted against a highly unpopular site for a new post office in the city's historic area.
The council voted 5-0 against offering a property on the southeast corner of Fort Street and Pioneer Road to the U.S. Postal Service. That means the U.S. Postal Service will now take the lead in finding an alternate location to build a new 22,000-square foot facility in Draper.Next to alcohol ordinances, the post office has proven the most heated issue in this small town. Residents overwhelmingly opposed the historic location as a site for the new post office, while the city administration and Mayor Richard Alsop favored the site.
That prompted a group of residents to file a lawsuit against Draper and the U.S. Postal Service in mid-February, alleging the site was protected by federal law under the National Historic Preservation Act.
Alsop did not cite the lawsuit as a factor in the council's decision.
Asked whether the council passed the buck to the U.S. Postal Service with great reluctance or great eagerness, Alsop managed a smile.
"It's a decision," he said diplomatically.
In its quest for a new post office site, the U.S. Postal Service is legally obligated to hold public hearings before reaching a decision. Alsop said the city's future involvement with the post office will take place only if U.S. Postal Service officials request it.