A bill that would create a new zip code for the hamlets of Flanders, Riverside and Northampton in the Town of Southampton passed the United States House of Representatives in a unanimous vote today, according to Congressman Lee Zeldin.
The three hamlets currently share the same zip code as the Town of Riverhead, which causes “a number of issues” for local residents, from delay of mail and packages to delayed response time of emergency and medical personnel, Zeldin said.
Zeldin first petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to assign a new zip code for the three hamlets in the southwest corner of Southampton Town. The USPS regional district manager denied the request. Zeldin appealed the denial, but since then, the agency “has been unresponsive,” he said yesterday.
Since then, the House of Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman, Jason Chaffetz, introduced the bill that passed today.
The bill still needs to pass the Senate and be signed by the president to become law,
Residents of the Flanders-Riverside-Northampton communities have been seeking a new zip code for years. The communities are currently within the boundaries of the Riverhead 11901 zip code and that often causes significant confusion. A separate zip code would also help the communities build a separate identity and boost community pride, according to local activists.
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