Post Office remake gets public riled
Patrons are wondering what in the world happened here.
And they’re voicing concerns — loudly and clearly, said Sanibel Island Postmaster Mary Uhlhorn. The island Post Office in the last couple of weeks looks like a US Marine Corps recruit, with nearly every tree and bush along the perimeter on Tarpon Bay Road buzzed flat. Shredded timber, vines and bushes litter the grounds, and patrons are hot, said Uhlhorn, who ordered the cutting. Nearly every patron has a comment or criticism about the project. She’s quick to share that a complete remake is in the works.
Still, the complaints rankle, she said.
“When I first came to Sanibel,” Uhlhorn said, “I’d never seen a post office in such horrible condition, potato vines and invasive plants. It was appalling. It was time for a change. I’m just asking for patience.”
Uhlhorn had envisioned a makeover assuming the postmaster’s job in November 2012. The exterior was mess, as was the interior, with any number of colors on the walls over the decades, she said. But there was no budget. Things are on the upswing, however, with the island post office accumulating a small rainy day fund, she said.
With the city’s natural resources department on standby, workers pulled, hacked and sawed just about every plant and tree on the Post Office perimeter. Much of the work was handled by Uhlman, who either supervised or jumped in with gloves. Curiosity turned to some anger, she said; Sanibel is 70 percent undeveloped, and some residents are defensive and testy about their sanctuary, Uhlman learned.
She promises redemption, however: The new post office will sparkle with fresh makeovers in and outside. She’s budgeted about $20,000 for landscape removal and the introduction of some dozen subtropical species, flowers and palms, berming and landscaping. Plans also call for a complete remake inside, with block lettering planned for the exterior that reads: United States Post Office, Sanibel Island 33957.
“This is a million-dollar property in Sanibel,” Uhlhorn said. “And it needs to look like that.”
The Sanibel Post Office will host a ribbon-cutting when the work is finished sometime in late fall. Uhlhorn is also welcoming volunteers in the exterior restoration.