WHATELY — The ongoing push to consolidate Whately ZIP codes has hit a roadblock after the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recently denied the town’s request.
Town Clerk Amy Lavallee informed the Selectboard on Wednesday night of USPS turning down the request for all Whately addresses to be unified under one ZIP code after initially expressing support for the shift. During a May Selectboard meeting, Lavallee told the Selectboard that USPS representatives were on board, planning for a change by the end of the calendar year.
At last year’s annual Town Meeting, residents approved a citizen’s petition submitted by Lavallee requesting USPS unify the town’s four ZIP codes — 01093 in central Whately, 01039 in West Whately, 01373 in East Whately and 01066, which touches portions of Whately’s southern residences — into just one, 01093.
The ZIP code change would not affect the flow of mail in Whately, as Whately mail would still be processed through the South Deerfield Post Office on Sugarloaf Street. Instead, the change would allow residents to write “Whately” in their address line.
On Wednesday night, Lavallee said the town is working with the offices of senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Congressman Jim McGovern to move the project forward.
“Town officials are seeking clarification from the USPS and are exploring available next steps to advocate for a resolution that better reflects Whately’s municipal boundaries and community identity,” an announcement posted to the town website on Tuesday reads. “We understand the frustration this reversal may cause, and we will continue to communicate updates as they become available.”
The announcement urged residents to continue using their current USPS-recognized address and ZIP code until the town directs otherwise in order to avoid mail delivery issues, but added that USPS stated residents in the 01373 ZIP code in East Whately can now start writing “Whately, MA 01373” as their mailing addresses. However, the announcement warned that this change risks other delivery platforms not recognizing the mailing address.
Whately has been exploring the possibility of a ZIP code change since 2023, when a handful of town officials first proposed the idea as a solution to issues like packages being delivered to corresponding addresses in Deerfield and dozens of Deerfield excise tax bills ending up across town lines in Whately. Fire Chief JP Kennedy informed last year’s Town Meeting that the first caller who reported the Rainbow Motel fire in Whately said the emergency happened in Deerfield based on the motel falling within Deerfield’s ZIP code.
While voters approved the petition, residents expressed a split of support and opposition, with a few fearing unintended consequences and others claiming the ZIP codes have never caused issues for them.
Tuesday’s announcement ended by encouraging residents dissatisfied with the denial to voice their concerns in letters addressed to “Manager, Rural Delivery” at the USPS in Washington, D.C. at “475 L’Enfant Plaza SW Room 7416.”
“We appreciate your patience as we work toward a solution and remain committed to keeping the community informed,” the announcement added.