Wells Fargo Bank Heist Takes Atms Machines Upgraded and Moved Inside — “A Lose-Lose Situation”
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■ INSIDE ■ LOCAL HISTORY ■ LANDMARKS News 2 A Tunnel Th e Castle Street Talk 3 Crime Watch 4 Under Fillmore on Vallejo Art 6 Proposal for a direct Metalsmith created Home Sales 14 route to the Marina his own compound Farewell 15 PAGE 9 PAGE 12 THE NEW FILLMORE SAN FRANCISCO ■ APRILJUNE 20152010 Wells Fargo Bank Heist Takes ATMs Machines upgraded and moved inside — “a lose-lose situation” By Chris Barnett he biggest neighborhood bank heist in decades has left many cus- tomers feeling shortchanged. TTh ree automatic teller machines out- side the Wells Fargo Bank at Fillmore and California recently vanished, depriving customers of the convenience of withdraw- ing cash and doing limited banking when the branch was closed. Now Wells Fargo customers or anyone with a debit card must observe banker’s hours — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday — to use the two ATM machines in the bank’s lobby. No one in the Wells Fargo hierarchy was willing to talk about the decision to remove the machines, which have been there for decades. But after repeated calls, Wells Fargo vice president for corporate communications Ruben Pulido issued a statement. “Th e ATMs were older models that needed to be replaced before they no longer met our inter- nal security requirements,” the statement said. “When we replace any ATMs, we are required to bring them up to code to meet the new Americans With No more: ATMs at Disabilities Act Fillmore and California. standards.” Pulido’s statement added: “We spent months trying to fi gure out a solution, but unfortunately we were unable to determine a viable solution. Our only choice was to remove the ATMs, place lobby units inside the store to be utilized during business hours and begin a search for an off site ATM location nearby, which is currently underway.” Th e one person most inconvenienced by the yanking of the ATMs may well be Joseph Anonuevo, manager of the Fillmore Art out of Africa branch. Photograph by Ivory Coast native Solange Mallett has moved her gallery of African art from Paris to “We’re just as frustrated as our clients,” DANIEL BAHMANI an aesthetically exciting new home at 1305 Fillmore Street. “We fi t in the Fillmore,” she he said. “We’ve explained hundreds of says. The gallery displays art and gift items from several sub-Saharan African nations, times that Wells Fargo is diligently looking giving meaning to the gallery’s name, African Plural Art. | PAGE 6 STORY & PHOTOS TO PAGE 3 X alternatives ETfs Attend FREE & Discover Tomorrow’s Great eGrowthco &n Incomeomy Investments Today! prof strategies income Salad Bar and Jive City resists Shell’s plan to add pumps and a food store arke16-18t trends biotech ene wners of the Shell station at JULY SAN FRANCISCO 2501 California Street were sent 2015 back to the drawing board by the top piMARRIOTTcks MARQUIS Finan HOTELce OPlanning Commission on April 30 and told to come back with revised plans — ideally plans that would keep the garage REGISTER FREE! they hoped to eliminate. kets Technology Stocks Th e owners, a company called AU for the 1st of Your 2 FREE Reports Energy that owns more than 100 Shell sta- tions, had sought permits to raze the exist- tionsons MarketsMa alternativ ing station and garage and replace it with Your Tech Stock Hot List: twice as many gas pumps and a Loop con- s c Because Investors Cannot venience store with a salad and sushi bar. CurrenciesCurrencies Live on AAPL econom Alone my “Car repair is a higher amenity than grab and go items,” said commissioner AND Dennis Richards. “I challenge you to come e strategiesstrategieHealthys Gains forincome Your e back with something where you have better Portfolio with 25 Top Picks integration with the community . hope- fully including car repair.” in Healthcare & Biotech The Shell station at Steiner and California. Th e owners of the station had agreed a week earlier — after neighbors showed neighborhood opposition to shuttering the up at a Planning Commission hearing to garage and concerns about intensifi ed traf- oppose their plans — to scale back the fi c on an already-busy corner. Th ere were The Best Industry Stock Pickers Meet You Personally! hours the convenience store would oper- doubts about the appropriateness of the ate and expand from fi ve to eight fueling expanded convenience store. and over stations, rather than the 10 they originally “I am concerned about further subur- sought. Th ey also extended the lease on the banizing that corner,” said commissioner garage, which is owned by an independent Kathrin Moore. “It looks backward rather 40 operator, through June 30. than forward.” more Th e commissioners were clearly sym- Th e commission voted unanimously to pathetic to the Shell station owner’s desire continue the issue until a later meeting. Cody Willard John McCamant Nick Hodge to renovate the station in a way that would “We’re directing you to try to incor- keep it economically viable as environmen- porate service,” said Richards. “Th at would tal upgrades are made. be necessary and desirable and hugely com- To Register Free Visit Fillmore.MoneyShow.com “We need gas stations,” said Richards, patible” with the location and the needs who noted they are disappearing all over and desires of the neighbors. or Call 800/970-4355 Mention Priority Code 039059 the city. Another hearing was scheduled for June But the commissioners also had heard 4. For updates, see newfi llmore.com. Thomas R. Kuhn DDS GENERAL DENTISTRY Happy 100th Birthday 921-2448 CISCO C N IT A Y R F H A N L A L S 1915-2015 CE L NT NIA EN 2383 CALIFORNIA STREET ( AT FILLMORE ) 1904 FILLMORE STREET 415.771.4446 www.ThomasKuhndds.com San Francisco City Hall s hihosilver.com [email protected] Join the Celebration Friday, June 19, 2015 THE NEW FILLMORE newfi llmore.com Civic Center Plaza 2184 Sutter Street #202 ■ San Francisco, CA 94115 ■ 415-441-6070 editors@newfi llmore.com Start Time 6:00 pm Editors | Barbara Kate Repa & Thomas R. Reynolds Production Editor | Ginny Lindsay Copy Editor | Donna Gillespie Free Public Celebration Advertising inquiries ads@newfi llmore.com or 415.441.6070 Published on the fi rst weekend of each month. Deadline: 20th of prior month Featuring local musical talent, gourmet food trucks and Subscriptions by mail are available for $30 per year. Please send a check. family friendly activities Connecting the neighborhood Every month, 20,000 copies of the New Fillmore are delivered to homes and businesses in the Fillmore, Pacifi c Heights and Japantown. We thank you for To learn more, please visit your support and encouragement and welcome your ideas and suggestions. www.sfcityhall100.com newfi llmore.com | updates, videos and an archive of back issues 2 NEW FILLMORE June 2015 ■ STREET TALK NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS Credo gets its fi rst store — on Fillmore Now No One Can Use ATMs Outside Wells Fargo Shashi Batra, founder of the new X FROM PAGE ONE natural beauty emporium CREDO, was up a ladder taking a hands-on for an empty space within a block of the approach a couple of days before branch where we can install new ATMs.” the store fi nally opened on June Anonuevo said an external ATM 4. But he seemed happy to climb machine at the busy California and Fill- down for a few minutes to explain more corner can generate more than 1,000 why he decided to locate his fi rst shop at 2136 Fillmore. transactions a week. “It’s our customer ser- “Look around,” he said. “In vice that suff ers,” he said. “But we also lose recent years fi ve or six other beauty fees from non-Wells Fargo customers who stores came to Fillmore — and pay $3 to use the machines.” none of those are natural. The Wells Fargo reportedly considered the whole category is unregulated, and much of it is harmful.” space formerly occupied by Copy.net, a few Batra and his team helped build doors away at 2404 California, as a new Sephora into an international location for its ATMs. Instead, that space juggernaut of traditional cosmetic will soon open as a new home of Smitten brands and beauty supplies. Now, Ice Cream. “with a much more conscientious Taking over any other nearby storefront attitude,” they hope to do the same DANIEL BAHMANI for natural products. would shut down an existing business and “There’s a lot of natural out replace it with machines. there,” he said, “but it’s not David Tente, executive director of the “We spent months trying to fi gure out a solution, but beautiful. We decided to create a ATM Industry Association in Orlando, new concept.” Fla., said he “doesn’t know of any manu- unfortunately we were unable to determine a viable If all goes well, there some day facturer making machines specifi cally to will be hundreds of Credo shops. meet ADA requirements — but Wells solution. Our only choice was to remove the ATMs.” ■ GOING SOUTH: Fargo would be a big customer, so a model — RUBEN POLIDO Just two years ago, Wells Fargo Bank JET MAIL cheated death by relocating could be tailored to be ADA compliant.” its shipping shop from a prime spot Tente said a cash-dispensing ATM ranges on Fillmore to 2184 Sutter. Now its in cost from $2,000 for a basic model up to Rachel Gordon, a spokeswoman for the But he called the decision to remove the new home is endangered. A “for $80,000, but typically averages $30,000.