Petition won't keep bank open in village

PORT LEYDEN — Port Leyden residents collected 458 signatures on a petition to save the village's lone bank.

However, that apparently will not be enough to persuade Community Bank N.A. officials to scrap plans to close the branch here Nov. 20.

"We very much understand and appreciate the concerns of the Port Leyden community," Hal Wentworth, director of sales and marketing at Community Bank System, DeWitt, said in a e-mailed statement. "The spirit and loyalty of the citizens to their community and to Community Bank has been genuine and admirable. We have made significant investments in the North Country over the past several years when other banks have been doing the opposite."

"We do, however, have an obligation to operate in an efficient manner that allows us to best serve all of our customers and continue to offer low-cost products and services," Mr. Wentworth wrote.

"For that reason, we do expect to consolidate the Port Leyden branch into the Lyons Falls location."

The Lyons Falls branch is only three miles from the Port Leyden one, Mr. Wentworth wrote. Community Bank also has other nearby branches in Old Forge and Boonville, along with four ATM locations within seven miles of Port Leyden, he said.

Community Bank last summer acquired 18 branches in Northern New York, including the one at 4116 Center St. in Lyons Falls, from Citizens Financial Group Inc.

"To me, it's like a threat to the village," said Anthony E. Belmont, who helped gather signatures for the petition over a 21/2-week period. "We've had enough closings around here."

The proposed branch closure would particularly hurt local senior citizens, many of whom don't own vehicles, Mr. Belmont said.

He said some residents are talking about moving their investments to one of Community Bank's competitors, and he already has opened a couple of new accounts at another bank in Boonville.