St. John's residents want to curb community mailboxes

Community mailboxes will soon be installed on some St. John's residents' front lawns — and Canada Post doesn't need permission from homeowners to do it.

In an interview with CBC's St. John's Morning Show Monday, Coun. Danny Breen says he's had roughly eight complaints from homeowners who don't want a community mailbox on their property.

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Heather Pumphrey, who lives on Forest Road, has received three letters from Canada Post saying she will soon have a community mailbox near the end of her driveway.

Pumphrey is frustrated because she was never consulted. 

"We've got cars stopping, keeping their motors running ... I don't want strange cars stopping and doing whatever. We're right on the street, we don't have a buffer zone," she said.

Breen said those aren't the only concerns residents have. 

"There's a view issue, there's the aesthetic issue, there's the having it near your home and cars parked in front of your house and near your driveway — people just stopping long enough to grab their mail," he said. 

Breen said residents are also concerned about the amount of garbage and flyers these mailboxes will attract.

According to Breen, the issue is especially frustrating for residents because Canada Post views the land as public property. 

The city has a reserve of roughly a foot of property that runs behind the sidewalk. That buffer is intended for sidewalk maintenance work and repairs.

"That is considered by Canada Post to be public land, and because it's public land they can install on that public land. So they can do that without approval from the city," said Breen.

In some cases, the piece of public land may not be enough for the mailbox. Breen said that in those cases, Canada Post will have to come to an understanding with the property owner.

Breen said city council has little say in the matter. He urges concerned residents to contact Canada Post and file an official complaint.

Meanwhile, Pumphrey said she's tired of hearing city councillors say there's nothing that can be done.

"This is our city," she said. "That's the federal government — they don't even know we live here, for God's sake."

"We really need our city, our representatives to stand up and do something for us."