In response to Mayor Richard Bissen urging the United States Postal Service (USPS) to preserve and restore direct mail for wildfire-impacted Lahaina residents, USPS recently said it will consider offering curbside delivery to rebuilt delivery points in Lahaina if certain safety measures are in place.

“Following receipt of your letter, this matter was reevaluated by senior Retail and Delivery leadership, who determined that the Postal Service will consider offering curbside delivery to the rebuilt delivery points if the town and residents establish conditions necessary for safe curbside delivery,” USPS said in the Oct. 9 response to Mayor Bissen’s Sept. 2 letter.

Also, USPS said it hasn’t yet made a final decision about the proposed permanent closure of the Lahaina Downtown Post Office and confirmed it is continuing to review comments from residents during an August meeting on the planned discontinuance of the post office.

“As our residents rebuild and return home, access to essential services like mail delivery is an important part of restoring a sense of normalcy and rebuilding our community,” Mayor Bissen said. “While important decisions remain ahead, we appreciate the United States Postal Service’s continued engagement and its willingness to explore solutions that recognize Lahaina’s unique recovery challenges.”

County officials are in the process of scheduling a meeting with Postal Service leadership to discuss conditions needed for curbside delivery.

The County also is preparing regulatory changes to address on-street parking in Lahaina’s rebuilding neighborhoods. Restrictions were initially deferred to accommodate utility restoration work that required street access and staging areas, while allowing property owners space to prepare their lots for rebuilding. This flexibility was intended to help expedite recovery efforts. With rebuilding activity progressing and more residents returning home, the County is now moving forward with parking regulations to help ensure safe access for postal delivery and other essential services.

Mayor Bissen in his Sept. 2 letter to the U.S. Postmaster General urged the preservation and restoration of direct home delivery for Lahaina’s returning residents. It also asked that USPS reconsider the proposed permanent closure of Lahaina Downtown Post Office.

In the recent letter, USPS said it will consider offering curbside delivery to rebuilt delivery points in Lahaina, provided the necessary safety conditions are met and delivery locations are approved. Requirements include:

Ensuring the location of curbside mailboxes allows carriers to access them without leaving their vehicle or driving on the curb

• Ensuring parked vehicles are not blocking mailboxes
• Ensuring carriers can safely deliver the mail

“Ultimately, the Postal Service will only restart delivery once the location of the mailboxes has been approved by the Postal Service and the street is sufficiently occupied,” USPS added.

While this provides a potential path forward, USPS has not committed to restoring direct delivery to all homes that received the service before the wildfire.

The County continues to advocate for returning residents to retain essential services wherever reasonably possible. Homes being rebuilt on existing residential lots in established neighborhoods should be recognized as part of Lahaina’s recovery, rather than automatically treated as new residential development, Mayor Bissen echoed.

“For many residents, particularly kūpuna, people with disabilities and individuals with limited mobility, direct home mail delivery is more than a convenience -- it provides essential access to medications, financial documents, government correspondence and other important materials,” Mayor Bissen said.

USPS confirmed that the proposed closure of Lahaina Downtown Post Office continues to be reviewed. The agency stated that it is continuing its regulatory process and reviewing public comments, questions and feedback submitted during and following a virtual community meeting held on Aug. 25, 2026.

“No final decision has yet been made about the Lahaina Downtown Post Office, and you can be assured that the Postal Service will consider all comments before rendering a determination,” USPS said in its recent letter. “As you know, final decisions are subject to review by the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, and the discontinuance procedures contained in Title 39 of the United States Code are exercised before an independent Post Office can be permanently closed.”

Mayor Bissen and County of Maui Office of Recovery officials continue to engage with USPS and community partners to seek practical solutions that support residents returning home and rebuilding their lives.

The County’s position remains that disaster recovery should restore essential services wherever reasonably possible and that Lahaina residents should not face unnecessary additional barriers because their homes were destroyed by the wildfire.

For information on the Office of the Mayor, visit www.mauicounty.gov/mayor. For information on County Office of Recovery, visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/2823/Office-of-Recovery.

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