Melrose Bank copes with damage, reconstruction after box truck accident

May 21-- May 21--When the driver of a box truck tried to fit under the drive-through overhang at Melrose Bank earlier this month, it didn't end well. The roof came down, doing damage to the truck and taking the ATM and pneumatic tube system out of commission, and forcing staff to scramble to maintain banking services while repairs are planned.

"Nobody got hurt, it's just inconvenient, probably for a couple months anyway," said Bank President Jeff Jones. "We're out probably five spots to park."

Staff members have been using the nearest city lot since the incident, not fun in the recent wet weather. The bank has also been refunding fees charged by other institutions' ATMs while customers are unable to use the one that was damaged.

Reconstruction hasn't started yet, as insurance companies go back and forth, and contractors remove the wreckage and make plans for a new roof. The bank's location adds another wrinkle of red tape, but Jones doesn't expect it to slow the project much.

"We're also in the Historic District, so anything we do has to go before them," he said. "I don't see anything major with the Historic Commission, because we'd be putting up something that was already there."

In the meantime, the bank has considered introducing an innovative temporary service akin to the curbside pickup option offered by many restaurants. That's in the early planning stages, though, and would likely require extra provisions such as a police detail. It's uncertain whether the outside service would be located in the parking lot or the sidewalk out front. If the bank can install a replacement ATM relatively soon, Jones said, the service would likely be unnecessary, but if the process drags on, it may make sense.

"We're trying to figure out the logistics of that, and whether it might actually work," Jones said. "If it's going to be like four months, it's something we'll have to consider."

Jones urged customers to keep track of developments at the bank's Facebook page.

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