SPOKANE, Wash. – A new sidewalk added as part of a street improvement initiative in Spokane has led to unexpected challenges for some residents. Randy Eaton, one of those affected, shared his frustrations over a disruption in mail delivery.
Eaton noticed something was different at the end of September when he stepped out of his house. “I didn’t even know what was happening until there was a back sitting in front of my house,” he said. The construction of the new sidewalk in front of his home resulted in his mailbox being removed. “My mailbox was just laying in my yard for several weeks,” Eaton said.
The mailbox was eventually reinstalled, but not in its original location. It was moved back the width of the new sidewalk, which has caused Eaton to miss his mail for over a month. “I really don’t know what to do,” he said.
Tampering with mail, including obstructing mailboxes, is a violation of federal law with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. Eaton expressed his concerns, saying, “I don’t want to get fined or imprisoned for something somebody else did. But I mean, I got to get my mail.”
Eaton reached out to the United States Postal Service (USPS) for assistance but found their response unhelpful. “All they could do is forward me a list of the requirements which states that my box is not compliant,” Eaton said. He is now uncertain of his next steps.
“Short of drilling a hole in the concrete, I don’t know how to make it compliant,” he added. The city of Spokane had sent residents a letter in mid-September warning them about the construction. Marshall Sampson, managing member of Inland Infrastructure, explained that the construction was completed according to the approved plans.
“We built it all part of the plans and specs that were approved by the city,” Sampson stated. Sampson also noted that technically, Eaton’s mailbox was not moved by them. “When we installed the new sidewalk, that also resulted in the road being narrowed,” he said.
USPS confirmed they sent a letter to Eaton on November 7, but it was during the time he wasn’t receiving mail. Recently, Eaton shared a picture showing his mailbox now has a new perch, allowing regular mail delivery to resume.
