The U.S. Post Office on Davis Drive will remain open at its current location for now.

During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen said the postal service had agreed to a one-year extension on the property and would also contribute $30,000 to help spruce up the facility.

“This one-year extension will provide the opportunity for issues regarding the lease and the existing location to be addressed as well as time to explore other options for postal services to be provided to the citizens in our city,” said Shaheen.

“This is a win-win outcome. It’s evidence of the success we can enjoy through teamwork and how professionalism, multi-level approach by the government officials and concerned citizens can result in a positive outcome,” he said.

Shaheen added that the city will continue to work with the current owners, while also looking at alternative sites. Ideally, he hopes to have a long-term agreement and to keep a post office on that side of town.

Members of Concerned Citizens for Warner Robins were in attendance as well as city council officials to applaud this latest development. Signs that had been posted throughout the Davis Drive facility, open since 1960, indicating a February 12 closing were long gone.

About three weeks ago, the grassroots organization members had gathered outside the post office with picket signs, encouraging the community to sign petitions to have the full-service facility remain open.

In January notices had been posted throughout stating that the Northside station on the eastern side of Warner Robins would close on Friday, February 12. It also read that postal boxes could be transferred to the Russell Parkway location, which is located about three miles away. There are currently about 2,700 postal boxes at Davis Drive, not all rented, according to Julius Locklear, district manager for the South Georgia district of the U.S. Postal Service.

Including U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson had also been contacted for assistance.

Shaheen gave particular thanks to Marshall for contacting the postmaster general to keep the post office running. As of last Friday, after contacting Julius Locklear, district manager of the South Georgia district of the U.S. Post Office, Shaheen said he was told there was zero chance of the post office remaining open.

Douglas Womack, who helped organize meetings for the citizens group, said the group’s main objective was to look out for the elderly and to continue to provide them resources on the eastern side of town.

“We just needed our voices to be heard,” said Womack.

On hearing the news, JoAn Davis said, “Today, this is the citizen’s victory.”

Sheryl Frazier, executive director of the Warner Robins/Houston County Housing Authority, added, “We knew it was wrong.”

Frazier noted that many senior citizens and low-income residents she works with walk to the post office.

Speaking from his office in Washington, D.C., last week, Marshall said he had not been made aware of the closing until the prior week. He understood that no opportunity had been made for local citizens or city leaders to provide their input on the issue.

"That just didn't sound right to me," said Marshall.

The leasor's of the property are Pine Hill Development out of Englewood, N.J. According to Marshall, he had spoken with the Postal Service about the possibility of the post office working out a three-month extension on the building's lease with the owners. If that could be arranged under the lease's current terms, the additional time could give everyone a chance to take a deep breath and see what options were available, said Marshall last week.

In looking ahead, what if the Northside station were to close and residents from the eastern side of the city had to travel to Russell Parkway?

Would there be an increase in traffic? Customers exiting the post office currently can make a left turn going east on Russell, but without the aid of a traffic signal.

According to John Kilko, the city's traffic operations manager, there are several specifications that must be met before a single traffic signal can be installed.

For one thing, a signal study has to be performed, and if the area warrants a signal, an approach is made to the city for funding.

Some of the things that would be looked at include the amount of traffic coming out of the post office compared to existing traffic on Russell Parkway, time of day when traffic is high or low and how it affects rush hour traffic, and number of gaps between cars that are coming from the east or west from other traffic lights, explained Kilko.

He added that the department would also look at accident reports over a 12-month period.

The cost of a traffic signal can be between $65,000 to $75,000, said Kilko, and ongoing maintenance has to be considered. From planning to getting the equipment to installation, the entire process can take about three months.