The Bailey Island Post Office property is back on the market, but lovers of the 04003 ZIP code shouldn’t be concerned. Barring unexpected action by the U.S. Postal Service, the 864-square-foot building will remain a functioning postal facility for the foreseeable future.
The last time the property was for sale, back in 2009, there were real fears about the post office shutting down. But a group of concerned residents, led by former Postmaster Kim Doughty Bourret and Ron York, another former post office employee, formed Save the Bailey Island Post Office LLC and raised $200,000 to buy the property.
Last year, that group signed a lease with the Postal Service that runs through September 2030, with an annual rent of $16,300 and renewal options that run to 2040. But the administration of the limited liability company, which initially included nearly 90 shareholders who donated at least $1,000 each, has become increasingly burdensome over the years, according to Roxanne York. York took over as president from Doughty Bourret, who passed away last December.
“The LLC was never set up as a nonprofit and the tax structure with shareholders passing away, etc., has become an accounting nightmare,” York said. “The building needs work and we have offered it to other nonprofits in town, like the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department and Harpswell Aging at Home, but they’ve all said no.”
So, York said, the remaining members of Save the Bailey Island Post Office with voting rights — those who donated more than $5,000 — have decided to offer the property for sale once again, but with stringent conditions.
“There are deed restrictions that state that the new owner must keep it a post office until such time as the Postal Service decides to close the facility,” York said. “We’d really like to see a community member buy it and fix it up and keep it a functioning post office.”
The property, which totals about a fifth of an acre, includes 7,440 square feet of parking and shares a well with the Bailey Island General Store next door. York, a broker with Roxanne York Real Estate, is listing the property for $300,000.
York said that when a buyer is found, the current shareholders will be paid according to the interest they hold in the property. She added that the decision to accept or refuse an offer will be decided by the remaining shareholders with voting rights.
A call to the U.S. Postal Service about the agency’s future plans for the Bailey Island Post Office was not returned. According to the listing: “Should the USPS ever vacate, the property can be repurposed for any use permitted by the Town of Harpswell’s zoning regulations.”
