BRADLEY — After months of advocacy by Rep. Jimmy Panetta on behalf of San Luis Obispo County residents, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has agreed to recognize Lake Nacimiento/Nacimiento Lake as an official community name within ZIP code 93426.
This change comes in response to longstanding concerns from North San Luis Obispo County residents whose community was previously listed only as “Bradley” in South Monterey County. Along with Bradley, the 93426 region includes surrounding areas like Oak Shores, Lockwood, Pleyto, Bee Rock and Bryson.
The recognition of Lake Nacimiento addresses critical safety, service and identity concerns for more than 1,100 parcels and nearly 3,000 residents living on the North Shore. Confusion caused by the prior designation often resulted in misdirected emergency services, jury summons, medical referrals and social service assignments.
“Too many residents of Lake Nacimiento faced serious confusion when it came to emergency services, medical care and basic public resources because their community wasn’t properly recognized by the U.S. Postal Service,” Panetta said. “Fortunately, my Northern San Luis Obispo County Regional Director, Diane Zannotti, worked very closely with the residents, and, together, we kept pressure on the U.S. Postal Service to ensure that Lake Nacimiento is officially acknowledged as part of San Luis Obispo County in the 93426 ZIP code. I’m proud of our work and the commonsense change to the ZIP code that will improve safety, strengthen services and bolster the identity of that community.”
The USPS previously updated its records in August 2024 to designate San Luis Obispo County as the default county associated with the 93426 ZIP code. However, residents continued to call for the addition of “Lake Nacimiento” as an acceptable city name, citing repeated confusion in emergency and public service responses.
Following Panetta’s intervention and ongoing community advocacy, USPS approved the use of Lake Nacimiento/Nacimiento Lake as an additional community identifier.
“This recognition not only ensures accurate representation of San Luis Obispo County residents but also enhances emergency response coordination and fosters a stronger sense of community identity for Lake Nacimiento families and businesses,” according to a Sept. 26 news release from the congressman’s office.
