New Fence Planned at Post Office
By Karen Gould

Postal officials had wanted to replace the wooden fence with a vinyl fence in front of the 1959 post office on Market Street, but planning commissioners balked at the idea because it is in a historic district. The fence will remain wood.

The U.S. Postal Service will replace a wooden fence with another wood fence in front of the post office, after the Mackinac Island Planning Commission balked at letting the agency erect a vinyl fence.

At the planning commission meeting Tuesday, May 15, Postmaster Debra Fisher said the white fence has dry rot and is too expensive to repaint each year, and she sought the board's support to install a vinyl fence in its place. Deeming the plastic fence inappropriate in the Market Street historic district, commissioners rejected the plan.

Since the meeting, Mrs. Fisher told the Town Crier Thursday, May 17, Gaylord postal officials have approved the building of a new wooden fence.

"We try to do what we can," she said. "We want to cooperate with the city's wishes."

The U.S. Postal Service owns the vinyl-sided building and the city owns the land, which is leased by the federal government for $1 a year. The 50-year lease, signed August 12, 1958, is up for renewal in 2009.

Although the post office sought city input, approval is not required to change the fencing, said City Attorney Tom Evashevski at Tuesday's meeting.

"They can do it," he said.

"The fence we have out there is now dry rotting, pieces are falling off, the top pickets are coming off," Mrs. Fisher told commissioners.

While she cannot get Post Office approval for the $1,500 needed to repaint the fence yearly, she said, the vinyl fence would solve the budget and maintenance problem.

"With Mackinac Island as a National Historic Landmark," said Commissioner Trish Martin, "one of the big concerns is vinyl going up everywhere. I don't think right in the middle of town is a really good place."

Ms. Martin asked the postmaster to relay to postal officials in Gaylord the community's concern that the vinyl fence is not appropriate for the area.

"There is a possibility we could lose our National Historic Landmark status over time," Ms. Martin said. "I don't think we need to contribute to changing property any more than we have to."

Ms. Martin's disapproval of the vinyl fence was supported by fellow commissioners Lee Finkel and Mary Dufina.

"I can't see a vinyl fence, either," said Mrs. Dufina.

Built in 1959, the Post Office is between the Stuart House, built in 1817, and the former medical center building, constructed in 1956.