Mail Problem to be Addressed

A quick solution to their great matter has been presented to the community of Bayside Hills.

After trying to be recognized again as a neighborhood all its own, the Bayside Hills Civic Association was assured that their postal mail would read Bayside Hills, instead of Oakland Gardens or Flushing.

After hearing about the complaints filed by residents, a spokesman for  Congressman Anthony Weiner, D-Queens and Brooklyn, came to deliver the good word that Postmaster William Rodgers, had a simple solution.

Rodgers, via Weiner representative Doug McPherson, suggested they use the addresses of everyone who receives the official BHCA newsletter to help define the community. “By those address ranges we’re going change those records address by address to give vendors only the option of sending mail to Bayside Hills,” said McPherson.

Barely a year after getting their leafy enclave, bounded by 48th Ave., Springfield Blvd., the LIE and 211th St., recognized as its own postal address, recent mailings have reverted to the prior designation.

For years, homeowners in the northern central section of zip code 11364 fought to have their community of single-family homes clearly discernable from Oakland Gardens – where the Post Office is located – with its two-family homes, high rise buildings and "garden apartments."

They contacted databases, and Bayside Hills started turning up on address lists, mailings and GPS results, according to BHCA President Michael Feiner.

Finally, with help from Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-Queens and Long Island, and the cooperation of Flushing postmaster William Rogers, Bayside Hills was recognized as an official town designation in late 2009. It reverted back some months ago.

McPherson assured the group that the execution of this solution will not take “months and months to do,” and can be done overnight. The problem, he warned, is that vendors occasionally update their own systems.

“Sooner rather than later, you guys are going to see on your mail come in as Bayside Hills,” McPherson added.

Additional reporting by Victor Mimoni.