For most people, getting the mail means an uneventful walk from the front door to the curb.
But for thousands of residents in Shearwater and SilverLeaf — two of St. Johns County’s fastest-growing master-planned communities — the routine has meant a car trip stretching miles, often clogged with school traffic, and ending at a cramped annex near the World Golf Hall of Fame.
That months-long detour may finally be ending.
The U.S. Postal Service confirmed to The Citizen that it has resumed deliveries to Shearwater and expects to begin service in SilverLeaf “as early as this week.”
The announcement came as The Citizen asked both developers and postal officials for answers about the stalled mailboxes.
For residents, it was the first timeline they had heard since deliveries stopped more than three months ago.
Cluster box units, the communal receptacles meant to serve thousands of homes, had sat unopened for months, forcing residents to line up at the World Golf Village Annex for even the most routine correspondence.
The trek became a source of daily aggravation. For Shearwater residents, the drive could take 20 minutes or more — sometimes up to an hour depending on traffic near Tocoi Creek High School. SilverLeaf residents were a bit closer but faced the same congestion.
“It’s really horrible,” said Vali Shaik, who moved into Silver Meadows, a SilverLeaf subdivision, in late 2024. “This problem has prevented me from receiving mail at my home for more than three months.”
Another resident, who asked to be identified only as Ted, said his entire Silver Falls subdivision has been affected. “We all come to the post office and complain about the same thing,” he said.
Inside the annex, residents have waited in line in a cramped room where one attendant works behind a closed door, calling customers forward after they ring a bell.
On Sept. 2, eight people stood in line at 10 a.m., waiting their turn. Customers said the only new amenity added recently was a floor fan to fight the Florida heat.
A spokesperson for the Hutson Companies, developer of SilverLeaf, said in an email that mail delivery is a responsibility of the Postal Service and declined further comment. A request for comment from Shearwater management was not returned.
USPS said the delays were necessary to ensure the new boxes were secure.
“The security and sanctity of the mail is of paramount importance to the U.S. Postal Service,” the agency said in a statement. “This includes ensuring mail receptacles are secured and properly installed, especially in newer communities. We are pleased to report that on September 2, the World Golf Village Annex began delivering to the Shearwater community. Local management is currently working to confirm the new boxes located in the SilverLeaf community are secured and safe for the delivery of mail, which is scheduled to begin as early as this week. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience they may have experienced and appreciate their patience as we work diligently to resolve this matter.”
Some deliveries resumed to Shearwater on Sept. 2 — the day The Citizen began asking questions.
For residents like Mike Sausville of Shearwater, the confirmation offers relief — but also lingering frustration. “We haven’t heard a word until now,” he said.
FOLLOW THE CITIZEN ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
