By Mark Wineka
mark.wineka@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — With a push from the office of U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the U.S. Postal Service has made a change and says Granite Quarry residents and businesses can now use “Granite Quarry” as part of their mailing addresses.

But they don’t have to.

Maged S. Aziz, district manager for the Mid-Carolinas District of the U.S. Postal Service, informed the town of the change late last week.

Until now, most Granite Quarry street delivery addresses had to use “Salisbury, NC 28146” because mail delivered to Granite Quarry homes and businesses comes from the Salisbury post office.

Town officials had asked that residents be allowed to use “Granite Quarry, NC 28146” to help eliminate years of confusion in many deliveries. Personnel in Hudson’s district office in Concord started working toward a possible change after reading of Granite Quarry’s frustration in an Oct. 6 story in the Salisbury Post.

In his most recent letter to the town, Aziz stated, “We have modified our database to include the following address for customers receiving street delivery from the Salisbury post office as you requested:

Customer name
Customer street address
Salisbury, NC 28146

Or

Customer name
Customer street address
Granite Quarry, NC 28146.

 

“After hearing from folks about their frustration,” Hudson said in a statement, “my office reached out to USPS to fix the issue and I’m pleased by their swift response.

“This is just one part of our hard work to provide top-notch constituent services, help folks cut through the red tape that often gets tangled around federal agencies and serve the needs of our community – no matter how big or small.”

Granite Quarry Mayor Bill Feather said Monday residents and businesses can start using “Granite Quarry” as part of their delivery addresses immediately, if they prefer. Meanwhile, town officials will be contacting businesses letting them know of the option.

“We’re going to do whatever we can to help out with the process,” Feather said.

Granite Quarry has a post office and its own ZIP code — 28072. But that ZIP code is used only by residents and businesses who receive their mail at boxes in the post office. Those receiving street delivery have had to use “Salisbury, NC 28146” as part of their address.

Previously, the postal service had made an exception for Granite Quarry residents living on West Bank Street, Elm Street, Lake Drive, North and South Main Street and Park Avenue because those street names are duplicated in Granite Quarry and Salisbury.

Residents on those streets used the “Granite Quarry, NC 28146” address.

Now everyone can.

“We are extremely and eternally grateful to Rep. Hudson and his staff for their assistance and persistence in resolving Granite Quarry’s mailing address issue,” Feather said. “By working closely together with Rep. Hudson’s office proves that small towns can accomplish big things.”

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.