A longtime Douglaston resident is fighting to officially put his hometown on the map.
Victor Mimoni has begun taking steps to change the name of the Little Neck Post Office — located at 250-10 Northern Blvd. — to include “Douglaston.” The neighborhood’s mail is filtered through the post office, Mimoni said, but the current designation does not afford the eastern Queens locale the recognition it deserves.
The Douglaston resident cited the Alley Pond Environmental Center as a prime example of why the post office needs to be renamed. Officially, the educational center is referred to as being in Little Neck — when it is in fact in Douglaston — due to the postal designation. This, Mimoni said, is just one example of the post office’s official name causing an identity erasure for the unique Queens neighborhood.
The change would require a local Congressman to present official legislation in the House. Mimoni said he will approach Congressman Tom Suozzi with the idea.
“It’s kind of a no-brainer that’s not very controversial,” Mimoni said. “It happens dozens of times a year.”
In fact, according to a Congressional Research Service report, legislation renaming post offices has become a very common practice recently. More than one in five of the public laws passed by the 110th and 109th Congresses were post office naming bills.
Mimoni will seek support from local Community Board 11 and residents, beginning his campaign by speaking at the board’s monthly meeting in Bayside on Sept. 11.
Using historical sources, Mimoni is working to determine the proper boundary lines that will be used to separate the two neighborhoods. Currently, he is eyeing Udalls Ravine, Overbrook Street and Marathon Parkway as potential markers, but he is eager to hear the community’s input.
Though the change in name may seem minute, Mimoni said, the step would be an important way to ensure the neighborhood retains its unique identity. He has begun discussing the proposal within neighborhood and has gotten many votes of support — especially from younger families. However, there has been resistance from a small group “who want Douglaston to stay under the radar.”
“Some people want to keep [Douglaston] a secret,” he said. “But it’s the best place in the city to raise a kid … The whole idea is if you add Douglaston [to the name], they have to acknowledge it.”
Mimoni pointed out that his proposal for a post office renaming is similar to the request made in Bayside Hills and Oakland Gardens a couple of years ago.
“The people who had the same sights for their neighborhood should be on board,” Mimoni said.
