A push is being made in Southampton to have zip codes changed on the East End.

Chris Sheldon, of Northampton, says that ever since the zip codes began in the 1960s, there has been one zip code overlapping two different townships. Residents say there are at least 18 identical street names in the towns of Riverhead and Southampton. Another 32 street names are very similar.

"That means if you live on one side of the river, you may get mail for the guy on the other side of the river," he says.

Sheldon says that having separate zip codes for each of the hamlets will not require any expense because there will not be any construction, and that it will be all done in the computer.

He also says changing the zip code will alleviate safety concerns. Sheldon says that if someone is expecting medication and has the same address of someone else in the hamlet, they might not receive it.

Officials in the area will make a formal request to the postmaster general. They hope to have an answer in the next 60 days.

The zip code change would affect the hamlets of Flanders, Riverside and Northampton. They all currently share 11901.