Providence woman blames shopping plaza for rats in neighborhood
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — A woman living in a historic home on Smith Street in Providence claims there are rats taking over her neighborhood because of the overflowing trash in the shopping plaza behind her home.
The shopping plaza on Smith Street houses an Aldi supermarket, a Little Caesar's shop, a Popeyes restaurant, a Family Dollar store and more.
Amy Watkins, who lives in the home behind the plaza, has been living there for 44 years and said the rats are just getting worse.
"It's gotten worse and worse every year, but now they're actually starting to burrow near my house," Watkins said Tuesday.
Watkins lives in the Charles Dowler House, built in 1872.
"I'm entrenched in this area," she said.
Watkins claims the rats are coming from the plaza behind her home due to the unattended trash on the property.
"Trash just overflows, the doors are left open in the trash enclosures, and they're picket fence enclosures so the rats can get underneath," she said.
In May 2021, Watkins reached out to Councilwoman Katherine Kerwin, who represents Ward 12. Kerwin responded to her in an email saying, "I was able to talk to the manager and I think he is going to fix as to avoid citation."
A year later, Watkins asked Kerwin to come to the home to see firsthand what she was talking about, but it never worked out. After back-and-forth emails, Kerwin told Watkins that everyone who left barrels out on Oakland Avenue did get citations and she was working on getting back in touch with management at the plaza on Smith Street.
"I don't know where else to go. I don't know what else to do," said Watkins.
Watkins said she's spent more than $2,400 just this year trying to combat the issue. She told NBC 10 News that she doesn't want to move from the historic home she's lived in for 44 years, as she's worked hard to preserve it.
"I don't want to have to be afraid that rats are going to be entering my home," she said.
NBC 10 News reached out to Kerwin and state Rep. Nathan Biah to see what is being done about the trash problem in the plaza, but neither responded as of Tuesday night.