By Steve Mosco
It’s not a unique ZIP code, but it is a step in the right direction.
Glendale has shared postal digits with neighboring Ridgewood for more than 30 years, causing confusion among residents when sending and receiving mail. To help alleviate some mailroom misconceptions, elected officials announced Friday the U.S. Postal Service plans to grant Glendale a preferred last line distinction — finally giving the neighborhood its own identity.
“For several months, [state] Assemblyman [Mike] Miller and I have been working to address an issue that has plagued this community for many years — the lack of a unique ZIP code for Glendale,” said U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Middle Village). “Today we are here to announce that the Postal Service has finally heard our message and is making some changes.”
Last month, Turner and an aide to Miller (D-Woodhaven) presented USPS District Manager Frank Calabrese with a formal application requesting a unique ZIP code for Glendale along with a letter of support from community organizations, local businesses and a petition signed by more than 1,000 residents seeking this action.
Miller said he has a stack of complaint letters in his office from residents charging that the shared ZIP code causes mail to be delivered late or even lost.
The postal service denied the request for a unique ZIP code, but it agreed to grant the preferred last line distinction, which means Glendale residents no longer have to write Ridgewood as their return address.
With the agreement, the postal service will make modifications to its software to recognize Glendale as a “preferred community name for the identified area.” Now elected officials with work with civic organizations to find out exactly where Ridgewood ends and Glendale begins.
“We’re working on the perimeters now,” said Bob Kozlowski, vice president of Glendale Property Owners.
Miller, a resident of Glendale for most of his life, said he knows firsthand the type of problems that can occur as a result of a shared ZIP code.
“I have lived in this community since I was a child and in that time, my neighbors and I have struggled with getting our community acknowledged,” he said. “Whether using mail services, shopping online or using GPS devices in our cars, Glendale has struggled to achieve the unique recognition it deserves.”
But both Turner and Miller believe what Glendale truly deserves is its own ZIP code, and they already have a vacant number — 11384 — ready to go. Both elected officials said they plan to appeal the decision with the National Service Headquarters to keep pushing for the unique ZIP code.
“We have finally made some progress to alleviate the hassles associated with this joint ZIP code and to give Glendale the identity it deserves,” said Turner. “But there is still a great deal of work to be done. We will continue to fight to correct this ongoing issue for the residents of Glendale.”
Reach reporter Steve Mosco by e-mail at smosco@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
