Norwich — The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission on Friday affirmed the U.S. Postal Service’s decision to close the Yantic post office permanently, rejecting the commission’s public representative’s recommendation to reconsider the decision and appeals by city officials and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District.

The ruling by the commission, an independent regulatory agency that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, was posted on the agency’s website Friday.

The ruling considered information provided by the Postal Service, the commission’s public representative’s objection to the closure as well as city officials’ appeal asking that the closure be reversed.

In the conclusion of the 13-page order, Acting Secretary Ruth Ann Abrams wrote that the Postal Service adequately considered cost savings and public comments and customer service in the decision to close the Yantic post office and allowed the closure to stand.

“I’m very disappointed,” Mayor Deberey Hinchey said Friday. “We tried real hard. We made good arguments. It seems to me they were just determined to keep it closed.”

Hinchey said she was not notified of the official ruling, which she called “short sighted.”

Two members of the state’s congressional delegation also expressed disappointment with the decision and asked the Postal Regulatory Commission to reconsider.

“Access to the post office is crucial for local businesses and residents, and this is simply the wrong move by USPS to double down on the faulty decision that closed the branch in the first place,” Rep. Courtney said. “If USPS continues to make decisions like this one, that degrades services to the business community and disregards net positive cash flow, they will not survive in the long term.”

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called the decision “deeply flawed” and said it failed to take into account the importance of the Yantic post office to nearby businesses and residents.

“Eliminating this location entirely is simply not in Yantic’s best interest,” Blumenthal said. “I urge the Postal Regulatory Commission to reconsider this harmful decision.”

The Yantic post office closed suddenly at the end of business hours on Feb. 6, 2012. Customers arriving the next morning found notices in the windows and on the door stating that the building would be closed indefinitely for safety and security reasons.

All 230 post office boxes were transferred to the Bozrah post office 1.2 miles away, and the lone employee in Yantic was transferred to Bozrah.

About 60 people attended a public meeting the following November and protested the closure, citing the inconvenient drive and the limited hours of the Bozrah post office. City officials also objected, because the Yantic facility was the main post office serving the Stanley Israelite Norwich Business Park.

The Postal Service made a final closure determination on Jan. 26 of this year.

Hinchey filed her appeal on Feb. 17 in a letter signed by her and state Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville, whose district includes a section of Norwich. The mayor argued that the Yantic post office was vital to the historic mill village and also provided postal service for the nearby Stanley Israelite Business Park, which has 45 businesses with 1,924 employees.

City officials also said there is a bakery directly next door to the Yantic post office and U.S. Foods is located less than a mile away, employing 400 people.

In its response, the Postal Service argued it did take customer concerns into account and made changes in response to complaints about limited hours at the Bozrah facility and the distance. The Postal Service shifted administration of Yantic service to the Norwich post office on Main Street, four miles away.

The Postal Service also started providing delivery service to homes by city carriers from the Norwich post office. Service to some residents was provided through cluster box units at locations determined by the Postal Service.

The commission’s public representative said the public safety issues cited by the Postal Service were exaggerated and showed that the decision to close the post office was “predetermined” without adequate review.

Postal Service officials argued that the safety and building deficiencies could not be easily addressed and included exposure to untreated asbestos, exposed wiring, housekeeping deficiencies, lead paint, fire hazards and constricted emergency egress. The issues could not be addressed, because ownership was being contested in probate court, the Postal Service argued.

“Given the litigation over ownership of the Yantic property, and the proposals to close that considered customer comments, the record does not support the claim that the decision to close the Yantic post office was predetermined,” Abrams wrote in the final decision.

c.bessette@theday.com

Twitter: @Bessettetheday