Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Arleta, is fighting to make sure the U.S. Post Office in Sun Valley remains open because of its importance to the community.

On Feb. 8, the USPS removed its carrier operation from the branch at 10946 Ratner St., spokesman Richard Maher said, pointing out that there are no plans to shut down the remainder of its offerings, including post office boxes, retail services, mail drop and counter agents.

Saying he wants something in writing to confirm that a closure of the facility, which has been open since 1960, is not in the offing, Cardenas sent a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe.

“This post office is important to the residents of Sun Valley and has served as a community hub, bringing foot traffic and business to nearby commercial tenants,” Cardenas wrote, adding he had contacted other USPS officials but has so far failed to receive formal assurance the branch will remain open.

“I still haven’t heard anything back, and we are not going to give up on this,” Cardenas said, blaming Republican Party leaders seeking to privatize the postal service.

“We will continue to inquire and press this issue,” he added. “I’ve talked with UPS and FedEx, and they don’t want the postal service to close. They aren’t in the business of delivering letters.”

Cardenas doesn’t believe some in Congress appreciate the importance of having a postal facility near one’s home. “What they are talking about is having something more than three miles away,” he said. “It just wouldn’t be practical.”

Maher noted the USPS has been consolidating a number of its operations. In Sun Valley, that meant moving 21 letter-carrier routes to its Burbank office at 2140 N. Hollywood Way, about three miles away. “We have no plans to close Sun Valley, and if that decision was made, we would have to go through a public process before any action could be taken,” he said.

However, rumors of a potential closure have been circulating for a while, with Cardenas’ staff hearing from workers at the Sun Valley facility that there were plans to close in six to eight months.

A number of local protests sprang up.

Mike O’Gara, a member of the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council, said the post office is a fixture in the community and serves as an anchor tenant at its location.

“For instance, our neighborhood council has a post-office box there, so I go in three times a week,” he said. “I see people there all the time who go into the bank or the shoe-repair shop, the restaurant or the market.

“It is busy all the time, and clerks there are very, very helpful.”

Zella Knight, a member of the Los Angeles County Housing Commission and a local activist, said she fears the loss of service to the community.

“My concern is with the people of low income, the seniors, those with disabilities or the homeless who rely on the post office,” Knight said. “In my case, they helped me when my identity was stolen. What is disheartening is that the community has not been involved in any of the decision making.”