SYKESVILLE — The key for the Old Main Line Visitors Center & Post Office to make money is to go straight to the top, according to Sykesville Economic Development Committee members.

Sykesville’s Town Council tasked the committee with finding ways to make the Gate House Museum of History, Historic Colored Schoolhouse, Old Main Line Visitors Center & Post Office and parks and events to be more financially sustainable.

That decision came out of concerns from the town’s budget committee where members expressed a desire to have more town operations to at least break even to make up for the town subsidies.

The committee is expected to continue its discussion at its next meeting, 7 p.m., Tuesday,  June 16 at the Town House, 7547 Main St., Sykesville.

Committee members said at its May meeting that the best opportunity for the visitors center and post office, housed at the Interlocking Tower at 731 Oklahoma Ave., is to hold events that can make money on the second floor.

Ivy Wells, Sykesville director of economic development and tourism, said that she has a few events in
mind that could work including more art classes, an art gallery and a magic show for children.

“It’s pretty much the only indoor venue we have here,” she said.

The space sets vacant for about 90 percent of the year, she added. When it’s used, people have rented it out for bridal showers and parties, office meetings and the like.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize we have that space available for rent,” she said.

Post office manager Jean Maher said she is supportive of events above the post office if they can be scheduled when the post office is closed because she said events can be noisy.

She said she supports art classes and other events, but she didn’t always, even when a dance studio rented that space.

“I think we could possibly do something to reduce the noise level,” she said in an interview with The Eagle. “I have no qualms about it. Originally I did.”

But Maher said after considering the budgetary constraints, she’s willing to give and compromise in order for the post office to gain more exposure.

One challenge committee members pointed out is that the upstairs is only accessible by stairs, so accommodations will have to be taken into account for events.

The cost of renting the space ranges from $80 to $200 for a full day depending on resident and non-profit or profit status, and includes a $75 refundable deposit. Fees can be reduced or waived for nonprofit uses, too, according to the rental contract.

“We need to go through and update the prices and restrictions,” Wells said in an interview with The Eagle after the meeting. She said she wants to make sure prices are comparable to other spaces around Eldersburg.

The space also has restrictions including a limit of 49 people and no alcohol can be served because the town lacks a liquor license.

Wells said she would like the town to have a liquor license so an art reception will be able to be held there where artists can serve wine.

Also caterers must be approved by the town, according to the rental contract.

Wells said the catering approval is to ensure the businesses have health permits and because the room doesn’t have a refrigerator for perishables.

Though several ideas were discussed, nothing was decided upon or finalized at the meeting.

Focusing on the first-level post office and visitors center, Maher explained that she has to follow a contract with the U.S. Postal Service for anything within the post office.

That restricts the type of products she can sell and how much she can charge as well as signs so people know that the post office exists.

For instance, she cannot markup the price of postage and certain products like some supermarkets do, she said.

“The most confining part has to do with not putting a service charge attached to our credit card usage,” she said.

While business can build in the cost they pay for surcharges into the product, the postal service will not allow a contract post office to do so on some products, she explained.

Maher said she has to talk to both the Historic District Commission and postal service supervisors in order to see what kind of signs are allowable on the building and around to point out the post office, and the

Eldersburg post office is required to have a sign stating the address and hours of the Sykesville contract post office.

Also the Sykesville post office lacks time and money for marketing efforts, she said.

Counci liaison Keenan pointed out that the post office doubles as the visitors center, so its expenses are tied together. So in a sense, the committee has to look at both finding revenue in a visitors center operation and a post office operation.

According to Maher’s measurements, the post office only takes up 30 percent of the building while bathrooms take up 9 percent of the building and the second-level composes 61 percent of the building.

She also provided figures for utilities showing that the post office’s electric use in March accounted for $205 while the upstairs cost $418 and the bathrooms cost $61.

As for water, the $67 quarterly bill she figured that 40 people per day probably use the the restroom equating to use of 100 gallons per day through the 2.5 gallons per flush from the toilet. That costs $63.65, she said.

The remaining 5 percent of the water is used by the post office thanks to its water fountain, she said.

Maher also said that when the federal government subsidy is factored in and other expenses related to the tower, the town pays about $33,000 per year and not $40,000 per year for the post office.

If you go
Sykesville Economic Development Committee meeting
7 p.m. Tuesday, June 16
Town House
7547 Main St., Sykesville

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