Some island neighborhoods have recently been notified by the Vashon Post Office that home delivery to their residencies has been suspended, due to complaints lodged by postal workers about safety concerns.

Some of the areas have roadways that are extremely narrow, with no turn-around access for the drivers of postal trucks.

Residents on these streets have been asked to install, at their own expense, “cluster-box units” to serve their entire street, or to move and line up their individual mailboxes at a single, more safe location for drivers.

Neighborhoods affected by these notices from the Vashon Post Office include Patten Lane, Point Vashon Drive, Corbin Beach, Burma Road and Sylvan Beach communities.

Some representatives of these communities are currently in negotiations with post office employees to determine the next steps so mail delivery can resume on their streets (see page 6), while others have contacted The Beachcomber, saying they are seeking to involve higher authorities within USPS, as well as writing letters to their legislators.

On Aug. 5, postal employee Anne Myrick met personally with residents of Patten Lane and Point Vashon Drive, at the intersection between the two streets. According to a resident in attendance, who asked not to be named, Myrick promised to work closely with residents to find a solution for the neighborhood.

The resident said that Myrick had told the neighborhood gathering an off-island driver, working to relieve the understaffed Vashon Post Office, had made a complaint to the USPS Safety Office and to the union.

The Beachcomber contacted Lecia Hall, a USPS communications specialist, inquiring about the situation facing multiple communities on Vashon.

“The Postal Service appreciates its customers and always strives to provide the best possible service to them,” Hall replied, in an email. ”However, the safety and well-being of our employees are of the utmost importance and the one-lane, cliff-hugging road on Point Vashon Drive SW is simply too dangerous for postal employees to navigate. We are working with the local community to identify a centralized, safe location and we are in the early stage of the process.

“We … appreciate our customers’ patience as we work toward a resolution and will continue to provide updates as soon as additional information becomes available.”

The Beachcomber, in a follow-up email, asked for more information about the other locations on Vashon now facing the same issue as the one experienced by the residents of Point Vashon Drive.

Hall said she would investigate the matter and be back in touch.

This is a developing story.