The Portola Valley post office inside John’s Valley Foods is closing June 12, but the future of the grocery store in which it has been located for the past five years is uncertain.
Owner John Meany said he is in the process of separating himself from the store and is hoping to find a new owner by the end of June, but it could be the end of July. “I just want to retire and have a little fun here,” he said. “Life’s pretty short.”
The possibility that a buyer may not be found and that the store may close has been upsetting for regular customers, particularly the elderly, Mr. Meany said. “It’s like a trauma in their lives,” he said. “You’d think it was the end of the world coming. They’ve just grown accustomed to it.”
The store, which opened in 1977, has always been profitable, Mr. Meany told the Almanac. Asked about the prospects of finding a buyer, he replied: “I wish I knew. If I had an offer, I’d tell you.”
The U.S. Postal Service does not allow a post office to change hands without an extensive background check, Mr. Meany said. Coordinating that with finding a buyer for the store “would have been nice” but difficult, he said. He gave the postal service 90 days notice in announcing the closure, he said.
The Portola Valley Hardware and Portola Cafe Deli have applied to take on the post office, Planning Manager Leslie Lambert said.
The necessary steps in communicating with the postal service to make the transfer can be time-consuming. The last time the post office moved — from the now-departed pharmacy to John’s Valley Foods in 2001 — Ms. Lambert had to call on Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Atherton, to expedite the process.
If the town were without a post office, mail delivery would be uninterrupted but residents would have no location to buy stamps or mail packages.
Stamps can be bought online at shop.usps.com and from the letter carrier, Ms. Lambert said. A mailbox is located at Town Hall at 654 Portola Road.
