“We thought certainly (the OCC) would come here before PNC closed, but obviously they didn’t,” Dayton City Commissioner Dean Lovelace said. “It’s an opportunity to express our opinion about PNC closing, and to raise the concern of how it adversely impacts that community.”
South of Good Samaritan Hospital, West Dayton has only two banks remaining — a Chase Bank branch on West Third Street in the Wright-Dunbar district, and a Key Bank near Germantown and Gettysburg.
That means elderly residents, many without transportation or Internet access, may have to travel 3 miles or more to reach a bank.
“I’ve been all over this country, and I’ve rarely seen a community without a bank,” Lovelace said.
OCC officials said they heard complaints about the branch closing and called the meeting “to explore the feasibility of obtaining adequate alternative banking facilities and services for the West Dayton community.”
The OCC has held similar meetings in other cities, and said it is inviting banks and credit unions to participate in the meeting, along with community groups and other regulators. Asked if PNC would participate in the meeting, company spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel said PNC “doesn’t discuss interactions with regulators,” and declined to answer.
Barry Wides, the OCC’s deputy comptroller for community affairs, said the OCC does not have the legal authority to prevent a national bank from closing any branch in any area. But he said the OCC does consider whether a bank helps to meet the credit needs of its communities, under the rules of the Community Reinvestment Act.
David Melin, PNC’s Dayton regional president, said last month that there will eventually be fewer branches in all communities as “most consumers have decided ATMs, online and mobile banking best meet their everyday banking needs.”
He said PNC “will continue to invest in West Dayton and support the community through programs and initiatives such as early childhood education and financial education.”
Staff writer Chelsey Levingston contributed to this report.
About the Author
