City fines Providence shopping plaza owner linked to rat problem
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — City leaders are taking action after a Providence woman reached out to NBC 10 News about the poor conditions in the shopping plaza near her home on Smith Street.
Homeowner Anita Watkins has been living in the historic 1872 Charles Dowler Home in Providence for 44 years, but she said the plaza behind her home is causing a rat infestation in the neighborhood due to unmanaged trash.
Councilman David Salvatore of Ward 14 stepped in to take action, although the issue isn't within his ward.
"Bottom line is, these are quality of life issues for all our constituents, and they need to be addressed in a timely manner," he said.
Watkins said she had been reaching out for at least a year trying to get a city leader to address the issue.
"I was just spinning my wheels. I was contacting people and they'd say they're going to get back to me and nobody ever did," she said.
The plaza houses an Aldi supermarket, a Family Dollar store, a Popeyes restaurant, a Little Caesars pizzeria, and more.
Salvatore said city officials visited the site and took action.
"They levied a fine against the property owner. They contacted Waste Management, who also has a responsibility to manage their dumpsters," said Salvatore.
He said the fine was $500 and the city has the authority to fine a property owner up to $5,000 for a case like this.
Watkins said she grateful the problem is being addressed and once it's cleaned, she'd like to see the plaza stay clean and be properly managed, so the issue doesn't come back.
Salvatore said he is willing to go above and beyond to help his neighbor.
"What I would like to do is reach out to the homeowner and find out if we can bait around her property, so the rodent sightings go away," he said.