Facility will include streamlined service
By:Laura Toto
Postal officials hope to serve more people more quickly at the new post office opening in Hillsborough this month.
The post office, which opens Nov. 20, will be a 24,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility on Amwell Road. The post office will be the first to carry the Hillsborough name and will manage delivery to Hillsborough addresses now provided by Somerville, Belle Mead, Manville, Skillman and Neshanic Station post offices.
Once through the glass post office doors, visitors will find a postal store with its own separate cashier on their left that will sell other postal products, such as packing envelopes and stamps.
Adjacent to the store is the general service counter. Postal officials hope the split will help streamline the process and reduce waiting times.
Clerks at the general service desk will have electronic touch-screen equipment, faster than the equipment at most other post offices at determining postage rates and other information, said Hillsborough Postmaster Mike Rizzolo.
"Most post offices do not have this, and it enables us to process customers’ needs faster," Mr. Rizzolo said.
To the right of the entrance are copiers and 1,380 post office boxes. In addition to these boxes, customers will have access to parcel boxes for larger, delivered packages.
A separate bulk mail office is in the rear of the post office with additional parking for customers.
The bulk mail office will be a more efficient service to mailers and will help speed up service to customers in the lobby who just want to buy stamps or do general mailing, Mr. Rizzolo said.
The bulk mail office is more for customers doing large mailings. Bulk mail, typically including more than 200 pieces of mail, will need a permit.
State-of-the-art vending and copy machines and mail weighing will be available to customers before the windows open. Customers will be able to weigh their mail, buy stamps and mail it.
The post office will have 80 employees transferring from the Somerville and Belle Mead post offices.
The post office lobby will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, with a window service open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.