1722 Swann St, NW Pls add your signature/Rats! Letter to developer requesting he remove debris and treat site to prevent rodent return

[Anne Carson]

Neighbors:  

I hope you are keeping well in the heat.  

I write to ask you to state in a reply to this email that you give me permission to add your names to the below email to Abrar Lohani, the developer of the 1722 Swann St site.   

Rats have taken up residence in the construction materials/debris (see pictures taken from the alley and attached to the draft email to Lohani).  I've already tried several times to persuade Mr. Lohani to take care of the problem, but my lone voice is apparently not enough to get him to act.  

I have also made a 311 rodent complaint and am looking into how to engage DCRA and the Department of Buildings (the site has a construction permit, which presumably prohibits unsafe/unsanitary conditions.    

Please get in touch if you have any questions.  

Anne Carson, Owner, 1720 Swann St NW  (631-276-4735)  

Begin text of email to Lohani     

Dear Mr. Lohani,

This concerns the construction materials/debris on your property at 1722 Swann St (see pictures).  Rats have taken up residence in and around it.   You can see one rat in the close up picture.  Your neighbor reports that she’s seen four-five rats frolicking around the materials/debris from her balcony, which adjoins your property.  

We, your neighbors, very much appreciated your courtesy and cooperation in addressing neighborhood concerns about the building design for the 1722 Swann St. lot. 

We trust that you will also remove the construction materials/debris and hire a professional exterminator to treat the lot to prevent their return. 

 

Sincerely,

Your Swann St Neighbors 

cc:  Brooke Pinto, Council Member, Ward 1

Brian Romanowski, Constituent Services Director, Council Member Pinto's office 

Zachary Adams, ANC2B, Chair

Christopher Davis, ANC2B, Land Use Committee Chair

[Nathan Stoltzfus]

Anne,

Yes, sign our names Maria Foscarinis and Nathan Stoltzfus.   Thank you much for your example of communication and solidarity here on our block.  There are surely other issues we have in common and can do more about collectively.

Nathan

1752 Swann

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[Jamie Picard]

Anne,

Thanks for handling this. Please add our names:

Jamie Picard and Chris Coutroulis 1725 Swann

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[Charles Samenow]

Please add my name:

Charles P. Samenow

1736 Swann St NW, Washington, DC 20009

The rats have been horrible. And I can't get a new can from DC for the life of me.. although I heard the rats chew through them quickly anyway.

C.S.

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[Nora manning]

Yes Anne add my name 

Nora Manning

1756 Swann St NW

I agree we must form a neighborhood united against the rats. I got a new can and with in 2 weeks rat holes

appeared. I asked about having rat proof cans and was informed the District has to use current cans as the trash trucks are fitted for them. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 23, 2025, at 10:50 AM, Charles Samenow <csam...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Bob Solomon]

Should have provided by address too: Bob and Cathy Solomon 1744 Swann St.

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[Liz Halloran]

Please add Alan and me to the list, Anne.

And while we are talking rats (!), I'd like to make a plea on behalf of the neighborhood:

If you are putting out bird seed, in a feeder, or otherwise, please consider ceasing ASAP. Rats love bird seed. They will climb your fences/ walls, jump from trees, find any way to dine at feeders or other surfaces. And they will mass at night to eat whatever falls on the ground. Bird seed provides an easy, ready and welcome food source for the rats, compounding our already significant problem. 

Thank you so much for considering. 

Best, Liz.

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Liz Halloran
liz.ha...@gmail.com
202-253-2656

[Cynthia Hansen]

Please add our names as well. Cynthia Hansen & David Holtzman 1708 Swann Street NW. 

On Jun 23, 2025, at 11:23 AM, Liz Halloran <liz.ha...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Marcy Logan]

Where do I go to add my name to the list?

You also might call the Illegal Construction phone number.

Marcy

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[Tom Reiter]

Thanks Anne, pls sign me up (1729 Swann Street).

For those of you that have rats chewing through your garbage cans:  I've had the same trash cans since 2018, and rats have not chewed through them yet.  If practicable for you, two things might help:

1)  only put out trash on the morning of pickup; and

2)  keep your trash cans away from fences, posts, etc, which the rats use to climb onto the trash cans--in my experience, rats can't climb up the sheer sides of the cans, so they can't chew holes in the lids.  

Most long-time residents know this, but for the new folks:  don't assume that it is OK to let rats be rats out in the alley---if left unchecked for long enough they can cause lots of problems, including chewing through car wiring and finding ways into your house.  None of us want that, so we really need to be pretty ruthless about keeping them under control...   

Regards,

Tom

[Liam Sims]

Hi Anne,

Please put me down as Liam Sims, 1720 Swann St as well. Hoping this can get resolved soon, thanks for putting this together!

On Monday, June 23, 2025 at 10:05:18 AM UTC-4 Anne Carson wrote:

[Vincent Breet]

Please co-sign from us: 

Vincent Breet & Tyler Starr
1731 Swann St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Thanks for your efforts on this!

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[Marcy Logan]

Please add my name to your document.

Marcy Logan

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 23, 2025, at 11:23 AM, Liz Halloran <liz.ha...@gmail.com> wrote:



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