By By SHERRY DIGMON
Advance Staff Writer
The Atmore post office will remain on Main Street. But it won't be a new facility.
At Monday's city council meeting, Mayor Howard Shell announced that Atmore had been taken off the active list by the postal service.
His announcement was met with total silence.
Shell said he realized many of the 40 or so people present at the meeting were there to address the post office issue. Calling the issue moot at this point, he opened the floor for questions and comments.
Joey Kelley asked if the postal service had given an approximate time they may reconsider Atmore. Shell replied they did not.
Someone asked if the postal service had given a reason.
Shell opened the floor to Brandon Brazil and Chloe Mercer with the Alabama Historical Commission in Montgomery. The commission had been contacted about the preservation of the old post office building.
After the meeting, Shell said he was disappointed.
Councilman Louie Turner said he had received a number of calls from his constituents supporting moving the post office off Main Street.
Turner said he also got calls from downtown business people who wanted to keep the post office on Main Street.
Shell said he was contacted Monday by Kerry Pfrimmer, a real estate specialist with the postal service. When contacted Tuesday morning, Pfrimmer declined to comment on the reason the postal service pulled Atmore from the list, instead directing the inquiry to Will Srofe, postal service media representative based in Birmingham. Srofe said Tuesday morning he was not aware that Atmore had been removed from the list, but that he would find out and return the call. However, he did not return the call Tuesday morning nor a second message Tuesday afternoon.
Although he was told Atmore was removed from the list due to budget contraints, Shell said he felt there was more to the story.
Last week, Kelley, owner of The Strand Theater, put up a marquee asking the mayor to keep the post office downtown. Main Street Jewelers owner Greg Colbert had a similar request on a banner on the side of his building.
Shell said the postal service did not indicate when or if Atmore will be considered again.
With council approval, Shell had planned to appoint a committee to look at available sites. That committee will not be formed after all.