It has recently come to my attention that many residents of the 19061 zip code in both Bethel and Concord Townships were dissatisfied with mail delivery, times of delivery and their Post Office designation.  As your Congressman, I always have and will continue to be an advocate on your behalf.   Bethel and Concord Townships are two of the fastest growing townships in our region.  Growth within the townships has increased by 41 and 37 percents, respectively, over the last few years thereby necessitating the need to look at mail delivery in the area. 

While I have received some letters from residents in recent months, it was through the leadership in both townships that I was asked to help with this issue months ago.  It was on May 23, 2006 that I held a meeting with the Philadelphia District Manager, Frank Neri, and members of the U.S. Postal Inspector General’s staff and we discussed various regional issues, including the need for a new zip code in the Western part of Delaware County.  Frank committed to looking at this situation but advised that the first step should be a meeting between the Postal Service and your supervisors.  On Thursday, August 31, 2006 I met separately with members of Bethel and Concord Township Board of Supervisors as well as Mr. Steve Rose, Manager of the Address Management Systems for the United States Postal Service, Mr. Dominic Camasso, Postal Operations Manager and Ms. Dorita Barnes, Postal Operations Manager.

It was at the August 31st meeting that multiple goals were outlined.  The short term goal is for those Bethel and Concord Township residents who use the 19061 zip code to have the ability to use the city name “Garnet Valley” in place of the current designation, “Marcus Hook/Boothwyn.”  This change would be made at the address level by the United States Postal System.  What this means for you is that all your correspondence can now be addressed with “Garnet Valley, PA 19061.”  This change will be implemented not only on a national level, but on a global level as well.  All mailing houses, marketing agencies, retailers, etc will be notified of this change and you will begin to see it on your mail within a few short weeks.  This change will also allow for a sense of identity in both townships. As of Tuesday, September 12, 2006 both Bethel and Concord Townships have chosen to adopt this new city name and are moving forward with implementation.

The long term goals outlined at the meeting are still in the very early planning stages and the best solution for the residents is still being researched; however, two of the possibilities would be 1) to create a branch post office in Bethel of Concord Township which would house mail trucks and retail postal operations; 2) to designate 19061 as a multi zip code city. This would allow for a related zip code such as 19060 or 19062 to be implemented for specific addresses.  Again, this change is done at the address level.  These changes would provide for more efficient mail delivery and closer access to the post office. I would like to stress that the long term goals will most definitely take time.  Due to the necessity of a new facility, the evaluation of carrier routes, and the application process itself, these changes may take two to three years before coming to completion.

A final, related topic discussed at our August meeting was the issue of high insurance premiums imposed on Bethel and Concord residents using the 19061 zip code.  I have made a formal inquiry with Diane Koken, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance to determine if this is a legally acceptable practice.

I assure you that I will continue to work with the United States Postal Service and your municipal leaders until an amicable solution is determined.  For updates on our progress I would encourage you to contact your township leaders.  Or you are always welcome to call my District Office at 610-259-0700 should you have any questions or if you would like to supply more information.