Smyrna residents looking to break in to the sought-after 30339 Vinings may finally get a shot this spring.
The U.S. Postal Service is allowing residents that border the Vinings ZIP code from around Log Cabin Drive to South Cobb Drive inside I-285 to vote on ditching their Smyrna digits.
Residents of the affected areas were sent a ballot to vote on the issue by April 11. If approved, residents would start using their new ZIP code July 1, and all of 30339 would have the options between listing “Vinings” or “Atlanta” as a mailing address.
The Postal Service first looked at the change at the request of the community, said Michael Miles, spokesman for Atlanta district of the Postal Service. The agency considered the cost and determined it wouldn’t have a negative affect on operations, he said.
Originally, a only smaller number of residents requested to be included in the change, but after examining the area the Postal Service determined it would be more efficient to include a broader stretch inside I-285.
Miles said “community identity” is the biggest reason residents request a ZIP code change. Though ZIP codes were only designed to streamline the delivery process, they’re now used to calculate things like home sales, crime statistics and insurance rates, he said.
“Some folks would rather have one address as opposed to another,” Miles said. “If it’s something we can accommodate, we will consider it. But we have to weigh all the factors.”
According to the U.S. Census, the average income for the Vinings ZIP code is $89,391. The average income in the 30080 Smyrna ZIP code is $76,618.
Jay Freer, who lives in one of the affected neighborhoods, says the change is an issue of community identity. The neighborhoods along Log Cabin Road are identified as Smyrna in home searches and receive mailings for Smyrna businesses, even though they are closer to Vinings.
“I’ve always felt like our area, unincorporated Smyrna, is without a home base and without and identity,” he said. “That’s the main reason the neighborhoods went after the ZIP code change.”
But some residents are concerned about the change. Ursula Wolk, government liaison for the Vinings Village Homeowners Association, said the group wants the Postal Service to slow down and listen to residents who will be impacted by the process.
“Everyone potentially impacted by this ZIP code change deserves the right to understand why the change is being considered and the time to obtain a complete understanding of the impact,” she said.
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