Someone Mail The San Clemente Post Office A Lawn Mower

San Clemente, CA: “What’s up with the post office landscaping?”, a local business owner recently asked us. Leaves and twigs lay piled in the gutters, plump weeds exploded out of the planters in an attempt to overrun the parking lot, trash could be seen scattered throughout the dead shrubbery, and the areas that were green billowed over the sidewalk – blocking the view of any driver attempting to navigate a now-blind corner onto Calle Amanecer. 

By Arrow Santos - (Video Presented By Jim Wynne)

The drive-through mailboxes were removed yet the unkept vegetation stayed in place. Was the writing on the envelopes for a post-post office world, where electronic mail and analog weeds were the new standards? We decided to deliver some answers right to your still-functioning mailbox, weedwhacker required. 

To get started, we met with San Clemente City Manager James Makshanoff and San Clemente Code Compliance Manager Adam Atamian.  

Makshanoff said he first noticed a problem during the summer when he was driving to work at San Clemente’s new city hall location directly across from the Calle Negocio Post Office. 

“Wow, what’s going on with the Post Office?”, Makshanoff declared was his initial reaction upon noticing the lack of upkeep. He then brought the issue up with Code Compliance Manager Atamian. 

The City of San Clemente does not own the post office property Makshanoff told us. He explained that because the post office is a federal property, owned and operated by the United States Government, there is only so much the City can do when a violation occurs.  

“They’re the bigger dog on the block,'' he continued, “When dealing with another government entity it’s a little bit different than dealing with residential or commercial interests.” 

 Stamps, Red Tape, & Overgrowth 

Federal agencies have to jump through extra hurdles, all government jokes aside, before anything can get done. Atamian offered, “…with a federal property, it gets a little bit interesting.” He proceeded to explain that the local postmaster does not have the ability to make any direct corrections or property decisions and that the chain of command for authorization stretches all the way to the White House. That might sound dramatic, but it’s true. The Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service oversees all business activities, including budget and real estate decisions, for the entire USPS organization. The board is comprised of 11 individuals, nine of whom are chosen by the president of the United States – with the remaining two (the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general) chosen by the presidentially-appointed nonuple. Fun word followed by a fun fact: Benjamin Franklin was the first postmaster general, appointed in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress.

“In all our meetings with the post office, there was never any indication that they did not want to comply,” said Atamian. He said the Code Compliance office prefers the offending party to spend money and time fixing the area of violation rather than spend time and money on needless tickets or legal showdowns. “Every year we do reach out to the Post Office to have them address their vegetation issues. This year, you know, I will say it took a little bit longer than we had wanted,” Atamian stated. 

Makshanoff shared that the local postmaster has expressed frustration about the bureaucracy he has to deal with. “He’s actually taken bids to his supervisors, three bids of contractors to clean it up, and they’ve been rejected by his superiors,” said Makshanoff. These factors have restricted the usual methods of correction, resulting in Makshanoff planning his next step to be reaching out to Congressman Mike Levin’s office. “Rest assured, the City is trying to move this along,” he confirmed. 

 Special Delivery: Embarrassment

The post office is a major landmark in the Rancho San Clemente business park and is often referenced when giving directions to local business locations. San Clemente’s new City Hall premises is in a direct sightline, just a few hundred feet across Calle Negocio. A concerned resident, who did not wish to provide her name, spoke with us on camera about how this reflects on the town. 

“That’s something that really bothers me, is that you’d think there’d be some pride,” she declared, continuing to call the entire post office property “such an embarrassing mess.”

Not only was missing pride an area of disgust, but also the unsafe traffic situation caused by untrimmed foliage. “When you’re coming out, you can’t really see at the bend,” she said after pulling her car over to the curb on Calle Negocio. “Liability should be a red flag for the mayor,” she warned. 

Atamian agreed with the safety concern, “That’s going to start to affect people driving up and down the street as soon as those, the bushes, were past the back of the sidewalk.” The land leading up the sidewalks on the corner of Calle Amanecer and Calle Negocio is all part of the parcel owned by the USPS, APN# 688-032-01.  

“If we are going to have a standard… then I think that governmental buildings have to be kept to that same standard. We have to set that example,” Makshanoff answered on the importance of government being part of the community, not above its laws. 

While bureaucracy stalled a quick remedy, it appears a lack of staffing allowed for the premises to get out of control in the first place. Makshanoff noticed that “it’s generally been one guy out there whacking away at the weeds in a pickup truck.” With a total land size of approximately 130,000sf, regular upkeep by a professional landscaping team would be recommended.

 Cleaning Up & Moving Forward 

“Ed has generously offered his time and service to clean it up,” shared Makshanoff, referencing Ed Stewart – the owner of Stewart and Associates. Stewart and Associates provides weed control and abatement, brush clearing, habitat restoration, and other land maintenance operations to several Orange County beach cities including San Clemente. For unknown reasons, it has been discovered that Stewart’s offer was not accepted by the post office leadership. As public pressure has mounted, an outside vendor has been brought in and general cleanup has finally begun at this time.

After the current overgrowth, trash, and weeds are removed, Atamian spoke on the two options the post office has for restoring the property to a presentable condition. Option 1: They can replant the area to the specifications approved in the original site plan. Option 2: They can apply with the City Planning Division to request modifications for a new landscape design. This would allow for drought-tolerant upgrades and modern botanical aesthetics. Leaving the property in an overgrown, or removed but barren state, are not acceptable options.

A project renovation of this size can take a serious amount of time. “The remedy for this situation can take up to a year-and-a-half to two years, maybe,” Atamian predicted, “Especially if they are looking to get some City approvals.” At this point, the post office upkeep will face a final review with the Planning Division either way, Atamian confirmed. This check-in with the City will ensure things are back on track after having gone so far off the rails. 

“The number one thing I want people to know is that we are actively involved in dealing with this situation,” Atamian promised on behalf of Code Compliance. 

Send Us A Letter (While You Still Can) 

Have you noticed the current condition of the post office? Tell us what you want the USPS decision-makers to know, and we’ll share your responses here. A special thanks to James Makshanoff, Adam Atamian, and the local business owners and San Clemente residents who took the time to speak with us on this ongoing area of concern. For all things business park news and San Clemente commercial real estate related, bookmark our website at www.wynnecre.com/news.