<div dir="ltr">Chris, <div><br></div><div>As Jonathan noted in his original post, yes, it will be difficult and will need a Congressional friend to get done. But it is not impossible to get a new zip code. Jack Kent Cooke managed to get a new zip code AND change the community name from Hyattsville/Landover when he built his palace -- Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. An all new zip code was assigned and the site was renamed Raljon, after his late son, Ralph, and the son he was trying to auger into the earth, John. Sports network announcers referred to the area for several years as Raljon and mail was sent from and to the new zip. All of that was vanquished by new owner Dan Snyder who returned the zip code to the Postal Service and resumed using Landover/Hyattsville. </div>
<div><br></div><div>That said, any distance that Riverdale Park can put between itself and stories like this would be immensely helpful in creating a new, improved "brand" as you describe it.</div><div><br></div>
<div><a href="http://riverdalepark.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/former-teachers-aid-sentenced-for-molesting-8yearold-student-riverdalepark?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&evar4=picks-1-post&newsRef=true">http://riverdalepark.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/former-teachers-aid-sentenced-for-molesting-8yearold-student-riverdalepark?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&evar4=picks-1-post&newsRef=true</a><br>
</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Jeffrey Yorke</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Oct 26, 2013 at 10:00 AM, Chris Currie <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:crcurrie@gmail.com" target="_blank">crcurrie@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr">Since Hyattsville has been bandied about in this discussion, I thought I'd pipe in since I worked on the same issue when I was on the Hyattsville City Council. Here are some bullet points in response to what has been said on this listserv:<div>
<br></div><div>* Hyattsville's "zip code problem" is actually worse than Riverdale Park's, for three reasons: 1) Hyattsville is not all in one zip code (it's in three), which fragments its identity even further and draws in even more area outside the municipality; 2) there are several zip codes that don't even touch the City of Hyattsville that are called "Hyattsville" by the Post Office, including some of the county's highest crime areas -- making the term "another homicide in Hyattsville" a meme of local news coverage; and 3) Hyattsville hasn't adopted a municipal name that distinguishes itself from the surrounding neighborhoods, as did Riverdale Park.</div>
<div><br></div><div>* Hyattsville's real-estate values are indeed higher these days than those in Riverdale Park. I know, because I've helped dozens of families find homes in our community, and some look in Riverdale Park for the express reason that they can buy the same house for a good bit less. But from the above, it's evident that this has nothing to do with the zip code issue. </div>
<div><br></div><div>* Being assigned a unique zip code would likely help increase property values in Hyattsville or Riverdale Park, but the effect might not be as much as some proponents hope for. There are many other factors that influence a community's "brand". </div>
<div><br></div><div>* It is extraordinarily difficult to get the Post Office to change a zip code assignation. There are all kinds of costs involved for the Post Office, not just reprogramming everything in their system, redrawing carrier routes, etc., but often, it means establishing a new Post Office to serve the new zip code. And it might be difficult or impossible to redraw boundaries to keep the requisite number of addresses in each zip code. On the other hand, the Post Office gains nothing in the endeavor at all. As most of us know, the Post Office is hurting financially these days, and is closing Post Offices, not opening new ones. Its resistance to politically motivated changes is greater than it's ever been.</div>
<div><br></div><div>* The only way to overcome the institutional resistance of the Post Office is to have a powerful Congressional patron who is willing to fight long and hard for the municipality. I made a study of successful campaigns (which are rare), and this is what I found are the factors common to them: 1) the residents of the municipality overwhelmingly favor the change; 2) it is such an important issue for these residents that it can affect their votes; 3) that municipality is a key constituency for the Congressional member -- in other words, he/she might lose an election, or might make an otherwise shaky incumbency secure, by accomplishing the zip code change; and 4) the member of Congress has a seat on a committee handling appropriations for the Post Office and is willing to include the zip code issue in matters brought before the committee. In Hyattsville's case, we likely met (1), possibly (2), but not (3) or (4). Riverdale Park, from what I see here, might not even meet (1). Quite frankly, it's hard to imagine a municipality in a one-party county such as ours will ever meet (3), which is one reason why such a movement has never been successful here or anywhere else in Maryland. </div>
<div><br></div><div>Hyattsville officials, during my tenure, did meet with staff in our two senators' and two House members' offices about getting our own zip code, and while we were promised some assistance, it was clear that we weren't going to get anything that was more than a symbolic effort. The best we were able to wrest from the Post Office is that a couple of the remote "Hyattsville" zip codes got other names that became preferred in the postal schema. </div>
<div><br></div><div>Hope that info was helpful --</div><div><br></div><div>Chris Currie<br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Message: 7</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 18:13:19 -0400</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">From: "Bruce Wernek" <</span><a href="mailto:bruce.wernek@verizon.net" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">bruce.wernek@verizon.net</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">To: <</span><a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Community Message: Overnight Shooting on</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> Carters Lane</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Message-ID: <014401ced1cf$6a0c75c0$</span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">3e256140$@</span><a href="mailto:wernek@verizon.net" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">wernek@verizon.net</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Speak for yourselves. The only things pricey I see in Hyattsville are the</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">EYA town houses and the historic properties. We don't have EYA in</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Riverdale, but Caftritz may have similar properties. We certainly have</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">quite a few historic properties here.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">If you care about what's really going on instead of the motherhood go to the</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">following links and enter 20737, 20781, and 20782 if applicable.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><a href="http://www.zillow.com/" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">http://www.zillow.com</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> ("Zestimate" is more in line with what the property</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">is worth because it's based on comparable sales not a seller whose</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">underwater)</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><a href="https://www.crimereports.com/" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">https://www.crimereports.com/</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"> (it looks to me like there's a pretty even</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">distribution on both sides of Kenilworth to me)</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Truth be told, I think this is much ado about nothing. Based on the ~20</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">minutes of research I've done, I don't think changing the zip code is going</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">to have any effect on property values. Changing the zip code will have an</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">effect on a lot of other things (every institution that has your address,</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">checks, license, registration, business cards, web sites, etc) and it won't</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">be pretty. I'm guessing it would take years before all of the things</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">affected by the change would finally be updated to reflect the new zip code.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">You would probably have to call your bank, the DMV, the IRS, the county, the</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">list goes on, to make sure they change the zip code. I really don't have</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">time for this. I've got enough to do already.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I apologize for responding to these emails. I just wanted to bring some</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">reality into the discussion. You guys can carry on if you like. I'm done.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">From: </span><a href="mailto:towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org</a><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">[mailto:</span><a href="mailto:towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">towntalk-bounces@riverdale-park.org</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Yorke</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 3:40 PM</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">To: Catarina Correia</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Cc: </span><a href="mailto:towntalk@riverdale-park.org" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">towntalk@riverdale-park.org</a><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Community Message: Overnight Shooting on Carters</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Lane</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Catrina hits the nail on the head once again.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">New zip brings with it all sorts of possibilities that include developers</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">and creators looking at an old town a new way. Important if you want</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">improvements like more shopping, dining and entertainment. Brentwood has</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">been trying for years to step it up and it certainly looks like it's meeting</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">with some success. Here's this afternoon's Bisnow Dining to tell you more...</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">But wait, one more thing for those concerned about saving on tax assessments</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">using crime-riddled zips: besides the points made by Catrina and others, how</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">much is 20737 COSTING you on car insurance for car thefts, crime on the</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">streets (outside RP) and all the other negative events that are used against</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">policyholders?</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Note to Town Council: Time to ZIP US UP to 38 -- 20738!!! GET STARTED</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span>MONDAY</span></span><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">!!!</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 2:58 PM, Catarina Correia <</span><a href="mailto:chatareena@gmail.com" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px" target="_blank">chatareena@gmail.com</a><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">></span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">wrote:</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">For what its worth, I would definitely be in favor of pursuing this. Yes, I</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">want my home value to increase (or at the very least get back to what we</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">paid for it.) There are a number of reasons besides re-sale for this</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">including refinancing etc. Our homes are really nice and it kills me that</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">they are worth significantly less than the hyattsville homes just up the</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">street solely because of the zip code.</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Furthermore, i believe when our house was worth more, we paid less in</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">property taxes due to the homestead tax credit (tho i cant be sure - i dont</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">handle the mortgage).</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Catarina Correia</span><br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">
<br style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Riverdale Park, MD</span><br></div></div></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Jeffrey Yorke<br>Yorke Property Management, Inc.<br>Yorke Partners<br>Jeffrey@YorkeRents.com<br><a href="tel:301-502-1243" value="+13015021243" target="_blank">301-502-1243</a><br>
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