ZIP code to change for 13,000 residents

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 10:42 a.m.

A ZIP code split, affecting a portion of residents and businesses in the Spring Valley and Charleston Heights areas, will take effect July 1, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

"This is one of the ways we're handling the growth," said Tim Purcell, spokesman at the Las Vegas main post office. "There were too many delivery points in the 89102 and 89117 area."

Purcell said the change will affect only some of the addresses -- approximately 13,000 in both areas combined.

ZIP code 89102 includes West Charleston Boulevard to Spring Mountain Road, and Rainbow Boulevard to Interstate 15. The change will affect certain addresses between South Decatur Boulevard and Rainbow Boulevard. The new ZIP code for those affected will be 89146.

The 89117 ZIP code includes West Charleston to Tropicana Avenue and Rainbow to Hualapai Way. ZIP codes affected by the change will become 89147.

The Postal Service said correspondents needed to be notified of the ZIP code change as soon as possible. Letter carriers will provide forms -- upon customers request -- to be sent to any correspondents.

For residents wanting to save postage costs, Purcell said they can change their ZIP code at utility or credit companies by telephone or through billing. He said most utility companies will probably already know of the change since they go through a mailing house.

Purcell said the change won't cause any delay in mail service since mail sorting machines will be programmed to recognize and separate the ZIP codes automatically.

He said the change is needed because the post office basically ran out of ZIP+4's, the four digit number -- for finer sorting -- that follows the ZIP code.

"The ZIP+4's are necessary for the mail service to operate in a more efficient manner," he said.

He explained that in a five-digit ZIP code, the first number depicts where in the country the mail goes, the second and third number depicts the city, and the last two numbers are the city sector.

Purcell said 89102 is one of the oldest zip codes in the city and the last ZIP code split occurred approximately four years ago when 89118 was split into 89139.