Postal patrons in Tarrytown have witnessed moving counters, listened to the sounds of construction and stared at opaque plastic sheeting, as have the carriers whose job it is to get the mail delivered day in and day out. So what’s all the commotion about anyway? The answer is, the Tarrytown Post Office is getting a much needed new floor throughout the 20,000-plus square foot facility.
Conditions over the years had lead to a deterioration of not only the floor surface but also the concrete and floor joists beneath floor tiles. With the amount of daily foot traffic from carriers and clerks along with the volumes of mail being delivered on heavy pallets and rolling gurneys, Postmaster Mary Rose Demjanec Brish along with Supervisors Danny Kelso and Audra Torres, put a remediation plan into effect.
“After the Postal Service approved the project the Supervisors and I got together with the contractor and came up with a plan that would expedite the project’s completion,” the Postmaster said.
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| Top, L to R: Customer service Supervisor Audra Torres and postmaster Mary Rose Demjanec Brish. Bottom: Customer Service Supervisor Danny Kelso |
Originally scheduled to take one year, the entire project has been shortened by six months. That was accomplished by having the commercial contractor and other workers work non-traditional hours where they could have access to the entire floor area and not interfere with the work of postal staff. “The workers start anywhere from
4 pm on and stay on the job until midnight or later, depending on what needs to be done,” said Supervisor Kelso. Kelso has changed his hours as well and has been present during the majority of the reconstruction.
Removing floor tiles, plywood covering, rotting floor joists, crumbling concrete and three inches of soil beneath it all, has been no small feat, considering it has all been done by hand. The relatively small crew of seven to eight men have pounded concrete with sledge hammers, removed old wood flooring material in wheelbarrows, transported crushed stone manually as well, and hand poured the concrete that is 8 inches thick in some places. “I have the utmost respect for these workers,” Kelso added.
That respect has also been willingly given to the carriers and clerks from the Postmaster and the Supervisors. “The people who work here have been fantastic. They have had their stations rearranged every week and they’ve come to work not knowing what they would find, because there has been constant change in the building. Audra, Danny and I have found them to be positive and helpful throughout this much needed but disruptive process,” said the Postmaster. The work is scheduled for completion in June.
