Update Jan. 23: Jim has emailed directions for group mailboxes. We’ve posted them in comments.
A neighbor emails:
I’m writing to report that mail theft continues to happen in Maple Leaf. The latest was on Northeast 96th Street, between 15th Avenue Northeast and Roosevelt Way Northeast, and it happened between Tuesday 1/19 and Wednesday 1/20.
Aside from reminding readers to make reports to the police and to the USPS, I was wondering if you could also ask readers how they’ve gone about getting those giant, multi-residence locked mailbox units installed that are seen throughout the neighborhood.
Some of that information is available in comments on previous mail theft posts. The map shows mail theft reports here for all of 2015.
(Some good news: On Wednesday another neighbor posted on Nextdoor Northgate/Maple Leaf: “I got a call from SPD today. They called to tell me that they found some credit card convenience checks that were stolen out of our mail. They found them in a backpack belonging to a gentleman that they arrested.”
Another email, from the Maple Leaf Community Council, is important. The council is having a general meeting next Wednesday, Jan. 27th.
It’s largely concerned with land use, zoning and Metro routes.
But the council is also looking for additional members for its executive board – the folks who do most of the work on our behalf.
January represents our “Call to Election” for those willing to serve on the Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board. Elections will occur in April and anyone interested in standing for election at that time will need to attend Executive Board meetings as an observer in February or March. With long-time volunteers Donna Hartmann-Miller stepping down from the Executive Board last year and David Miller retiring in April this year, we need volunteers more than ever.
The community council has a long and honored history representing our neighborhood. We’ve written about it before:
“The Maple Leaf of today did not just happen but instead reflects hundreds of volunteer hours dedicated on behalf of the Maple Leaf neighborhood.”
For more details read this post.
Next Wednesday’s meeting is from 6-9 p.m. at Olympic View Elementary, Northeast 95th Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast.
Here’s the council’s full email:
The Maple Leaf Community Council will have its January General Meeting Wednesday, January 27th. The two main subjects are changes in land use and zoning affecting Maple Leaf plus changes to Metro bus routes affecting our neighborhood.
Date: Wednesday, January 27th
Time: 7-9pm
Place: Olympic View Elementary (5th NE and NE 95th)
Seattle is updating its Comprehensive Plan and generating rules intended to increase rental housing affordability. These two efforts are generating the most significant land use and zoning changes Seattle has seen in over three decades. This includes zoning changes to all zones, including property currently zoned single family. Some proposals related to transit service *might* change zoning in most of Maple Leaf between 5th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE. Other changes will add one or more stories to our commercial districts on Lake City Way NE, Roosevelt Way NE, 5th Ave NE, and near the Northgate area. Hear representatives from the city describe the potential changes and answer your questions.
Metro and Sound Transit are making broad changes to bus service. These changes are caused by passage of two recent funding mechanisms for bus service as well as the 2016 opening of the UW station for Link Light Rail. Service will significantly change for Maple Leaf. Additional planning is being conducted for how service in Maple Leaf will change once the Northgate Link station goes online. Come hear a Metro representative describe changes and answer your questions.
In other news from Maple Leaf, January represents our “Call to Election” for those willing to serve on the Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board. Elections will occur in April and anyone interested in standing for election at that time will need to attend Executive Board meetings as an observer in February or March. With long-time volunteers Donna Hartmann-Miller stepping down from the Executive Board last year and David Miller retiring in April this year, we need volunteers more than ever. For more information, contact current MLCC President Eric Ramsing: MLCC@MapleLeafCommunity.org
We hope to see you at the January General Meeting!
Your Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board
Looks similar to ones that are pried open.
After getting some mail stolen, we purchased a Mail Boss 7506 Mail Manager (retails for $99.99 at Amazon.) Mailman can insert small packages and can hold upto a week’s worth of mail. It is almost impossible to fish mail once inside mailbox without the proper key.
Those individually locking mailboxes are the ones that neighbors keep reporting are getting pried open.
An alternate to a secure mail unit, and probably easier to organize, is just add individual secure mailboxes. Our neighbors replaced our aging mailbox holder and our unsecure mailboxes all at the same time. Added a couple of plant hanger hooks so we could hang flowers from it in spring and summer. Nice addition to the neighborhood.
It was much easier to organize than the big silver unit because we didn’t have to get the USPS involved.
Our 16 unit CBU cost about $120 per participant, installed. I will find the guys information and post it. He took the old mailboxes out and only handed out the keys for the new ones when he got paid.
I was very surprised how cooperative all 16 neighbors were, most had gotten mail stolen.
The box is bolted to the slab with breakaway bolts to minimize damage. Bollards are an option, but we didn’t do that.
I tipped the police to some suspicious activity I saw on the way to the transit center this morning. They called to let me know that they did take someone into custody with a bunch of mail from several houses.
From the article:
“I got a call from SPD today. They called to tell me that they found some credit card convenience checks that were stolen out of our mail. They found them in a backpack belonging to a gentleman that they arrested.”
“Gentlemen” do not get arrested with backpacks full of stolen items.
I reported a mail theft at our home and it is not on this map (occurred early December). Interesting…
MLL: Jim has emailed suggestions for those wanting a secure, group mailbox:
“I have some information about getting a cluster mailbox unit for a street.
“First the person who will order the unit will need to find out from his neighbors how many want the unit. The cost of the unit depends on the size of the unit.The units can be quite small or in the case of a large one the unit can be used by 12 people. The cost of the unit depends on how big of a unit you order. Make sure to order a metal unit since there are plastic ones out there that are easier to break into. The website to go to is mailboxes.com.
” Some things to keep in mind if you do get a unit. The people using the unit own the unit. The only part of the unit that the post office has will be the key to open the doors for delivering the mail. If someone has a car accident and takes out the unit the people using it will have to buy a new one. The folks who will be using the unit have to do their own installation. This includes making a very thick concrete pad for the unit to be bolted onto and then bolting on the unit to the pad.
“Before ordering the unit make sure to talk to the post office that you will be doing this for your street. The post office will tell you where you can put the unit.
” I think this covers all the issues about getting a unit. If the person who was asking on the blog needs more information please give me their email address and I’ll email them about their questions.”
Sincerely, Jim Sanford