Lisa Blunt Rochester

The Ocean View Post Office closed in September due to structural damage and the presence of mold.

Repairs are scheduled to begin on June 1 and are expected to be completed by September 30.

A U.S. Senator's inquiry was required to get a detailed explanation and timeline from the U.S. Postal Service.

It took a U.S. senator to get the U.S. Postal Service to explain why the Ocean View Post Office is closed and when it is expected to reopen.

The Ocean View Post Office, located at 35764 Atlantic Ave., closed Sept. 27 for "emergency repairs," U.S. Postal Service spokesman Paul Smith told Delaware Online/The News Journal in March. The repairs were due to "structural damage," he went on to say, but he did not provide any other details when asked.

According to information provided by a Postal Service representative to U.S. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester's office via email, the closure is due to "significant safety concerns" identified during a facility assessment, including structural deficiencies and "mold presence posing potential respiratory risks."

Repairs are expected to begin June 1 and be completed Sept. 30, the email said.

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In the meantime, a "jumbo" letter collection box will be placed at the Ocean View facility, the email said. About 150 Ocean View post office box customers now have boxes at the Bethany Beach Post Office, according to the email, and more boxes are being installed.

“While I appreciate the USPS finally providing a timeline for the long-awaited renovations to the Ocean View Post Office, I remain deeply concerned about both the timing and the delay in communication surrounding this project," state Sen. Gerald Hocker, R-Bethany Beach, said in a statement.

It's particularly troubling that Millville, Ocean View and Clarksville residents will have to utilize the Bethany Beach office during the summer season, when traffic is a significant burden, Hocker said.

"Equally concerning is the length of time it took for USPS to respond to this issue and provide clarity to the public. That delay is unacceptable," Hocker said. "The residents served by the Ocean View Post Office deserve far better communication and planning when it comes to essential services."

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The Postal Service has developed a number of services that don't require a trip to the Post Office, the email indicated.

That includes buying stamps at usps.com or by calling 800-STAMP24. Additionally, the online Click-N-Ship service allows customers to print shipping labels with postage for Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express and request the items be picked up via Package Pickup service.

Communication troubles at the Postal Service may be related to money. The agency has been in financial trouble for some time, losing billions of dollars over the past few years, according to The New York Times.

Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress in March that the Postal Service will run out of money in about a year if operations continue without change.