[RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")

Wed Apr 4 12:26:05 UTC 2007

This is one of the major reasons why I proposed and succeeded in getting the
town's name changed/returned to Riverdale Park (the original subdivision
name from 1890) in the late 1990s. Now, the media still seems to confuse the
boundaries from time to time, but often it is reported correctly.

Some local real estate agents still tell me it was one of the best things we
could have done. People looking to buy in 20737 will ask for the "Park" if
they want to be inside the town (with all of its services) and in particular
in a historic neighborhood. This has helped tremendously with solidifying
the boundaries (and locations of local police and public works services).

Imagine though, that you have paid a bit more to live in University Park,
developed in the early 20th century with the prohibition against commercial
development inside your borders. Because of that omission, the post office
calls you Hyattsville (you don't rate your own post office). But, you are
unique municipality and pay taxes as such.

I know that one of the Hyattsville councilmembers a while back proposed
changing the name to Hyatt Park. However, that is not the original name of
the city, and things didn't get too far. And unfortunately, the name
Hyattsville not only pops up immediately outside that city's borders to the
west but also over near Bladensburg on the east of Riverdale Park.

Perhaps the change to Hyattsville City would work? Or perhaps in the
intervening decade the post office has gotten easier to work with?

Chris Davis

-----Original Message-----
From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
[mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Nancy
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 11:10 PM
To: 'TownTalk'
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")

When the Post Office uses the term "city," it doesn't mean a legal
jurisdiction with a mayor and a council - it means what many of us would
consider a place name. Often they are the same, sometimes they are not.

The Post Office associates a specific place name with every zip code, and as
your list shows, it allows some alternates. 

The media - and many others - don't know and don't care about legal
boundaries. A mailing address is often the best / only indication of the
place name. 

Dealing with an almost identical problem in Virginia, a few years ago, the
Board of Supervisors of the county passed a resolution asking the post
office to alter the place name designation, and then individual members of
the Board met with whatever local postmaster had the prerogative to initiate
and change. And they did get it changed.

Nancy
Riverdale Road

-----Original Message-----
From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
[mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Dwight Holmes
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 10:23 AM
To: TownTalk
Subject: [RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")

I assume some of you are following the current thread on the Hyattsville
HOPE list re the frustrations of events that occur outside the city limits
of Hyattsville being reported in the media as having occurred in
Hyattsville...

my own beef is that you can't even type "Riverdale Park MD" into the USPS'
zip code search and get any information -- instead you get an error message.
friends from out of town were coming this way and called me and said "Where
do you live? Yahoo (or whichever online map service it was they were using,
I forget) doesn't recognize Riverdale Park MD".  This is absurd.

i wrote USPS and got a wholly unsatisfactory response; short on logic, wrong
on facts. (their reply is below, near the bottom of this msg)

i just did some poking around on USPS' site:  if you look up the zip code
20722 you get this information:

==============================
Actual City name in 20722
BRENTWOOD, MD
Acceptable City names in 20722
COLMAR MANOR, MD
COTTAGE CITY, MD
N BRENTWOOD, MD
NO BRENTWOOD, MD
NORTH BRENTWO, MD
NORTH BRENTWOOD, MD
Not Acceptable
BRENTWD, MD
==============================

but if you look up 20737 you get this:

==============================
Actual City name in 20737
RIVERDALE, MD
==============================

and if you look up Riverdale Park MD you get this:

==============================
We're sorry! We were unable to process your request.

Please complete the field(s) indicated below.
* Required Fields
All field labels with a * are required 			
* City 		
* City

  		Please enter a city.
==============================
Clearly, Colmar Manor, Cottage City and North Brentwood are in the same
situation as Riverdale Park: They are legally incorporated towns, with
specific boundaries. The USPS recognizes them as "acceptable city names" but
does not recognize Riverdale Park as such.

Here's what USPS' reply to me said:

===========================
Response (Kimberly E) - 04/02/2007 11:26 AM Dear DWIGHT HOLMES,

Thank you for contacting us about the ZIP Code 20737.

I do apologize, but the ZIP Code 20737 only has one city associated with it.
The ZIP Code 20737 is associated to Riverdale, MD only.
According to our system Riverdale Park does not have a distinctive ZIP Code.
This occurs with suburbs and surrounding communities.  The ZIP Code is for
the purpose of routing to the appropriate city for sorting and distribution.

If I can be of assistance to you in the future, please don't hesitate to
contact me. Thank you for choosing the United States Postal Service(r).

Regards,

Kimberly E
===========================

The crux is "according to our system" -- this is not something written in
stone; it's the result of arbitrary decisions, with no apparent basis in
logic or common sense.

I know there's a history to this, somebody said as much on this list.
I don't know what avenues were used to try to remedy the situation.
It looks like there are efforts afoot in Hyattsville to try to deal with
this as well (though maybe more on the media side than on the USPS side). It
occurred to me that maybe some joint task force from both towns might have
more success???

--
"Donna the Buffalo are like Dylan meets the Wailers via Louisiana and
Appalachia."
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For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us