The Cameron Station Civic Association held its virtual membership meeting on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Jack Browand, Deputy Director of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities (RPC), discussed what RPC has been doing at Ben Brenman Park, and Sean Martin, Program Manager, Capital Bikeshare and Dockless Mobility, discussed the three proposed locations for a bikeshare station in or near Ben Brenman Park.
Updates from Mr. Browand on Ben Brenman Park activity are summarized below:
- RPC and the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services work together on the maintenance of Ben Brenman and remove trash about once a month.
- In the next ninety days, three dead trees will be removed in Ben Brenman.
- In the Fall of 2024, the deck of the Holmes Run Bridge will be replaced with work lasting 3 to 4 weeks.
- In mid-June, synthetic turf will be put in Ben Brenman’s playing fields with work taking 5 to 6 weeks.
- ADA improvements are scheduled from the parking lot to the picnic area adjacent to Backlick Run in the Fall or Winter of 2024.
- Police patrols will be increased near the shelter at Ben Brenman due to increased homeless activity.
- Two new benches have been placed along Sommerville and one more bench is scheduled to be put near the Farmers Market.
- In the Spring of 2025, synthetic turf will be placed at the playing field of Armistead Boothe Park, and repairs to the playground at this park will take place in July 2024.
- By the end of this year, the bathrooms at Boothe Park will be closed to convert them to being year round facilities.
In response to inquiries from the audience, Mr. Browand said that he will:
- Have someone walk around the pond to see if repairs were needed along the asphalt walkway.
- Have RPC check the uneven fence at Boothe Park near the Tucker school.
- Ask that signage be placed reminding people not to feed the animals.
- Consider the possibility of having a police substation at Ben Brenman.
- Consider having more festivals and other events at Ben Brenman.
For more information, click HERE or go to https://www.alexandriava.gov/parks/location/ben-brenman-park.
See also HERE or go to https://www.alexandriava.gov/Trees.
Mr. Martin said that the City is conducting outreach with residents of Cameron Station on three proposed locations for one bikeshare station of 15 bikes that would be 40 feet x 6 feet. The three locations are: 
Take the survey to share your thoughts on the location for the new Ben Brenman bikeshare station.
- Brenman Park Drive and Sommerville Street
- Brenman Park Drive and Comay Terrace
- Sommerville Street and Deer Run Court
Of note is that options one and three are in the street and option two is on a sidewalk near the coffee shop.
Participants seemed to prefer option one, but strongly suggested that the City place the bikeshare in the park rather than in the street. Mr. Martin noted that options one and three were in the street due to the land being in a Resource Protection Area. Participants suggested that, since many other park amenities were on the grassland, they reconsider placing the small bikeshare station in the park rather than in the street given there are safety and traffic concerns.
For the survey on the locations for the Ben Brenman bikeshare placement, click HERE or go to https://www.research.net/r/AlexandriaVA-PotentialCameronStationCapitalBikeshareStationLocation.
For more information on the bikeshare program in general, click HERE or go to https://www.alexandriava.gov/Bikesharing.
Sash Impastato moved into Cameron Station in 2000 and was awarded the Mark Pillow Community Spirit Award in 2021. Sash has been an officer or director of the Cameron Station Civic Association since 2001, on the board of the Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations since 2004, the founder in 2014 of the West End Coalition and also serves on the Advisory Group for the Implementation of the Eisenhower West and Landmark Van Dorn Small Area Plans. He currently serves as First Vice President of the Cameron Station Civic Association. Sash is a happily retired former lawyer having served a sentence of 30+ years at Big Law.
The Cameron Station Civic Association is actively engaged in influencing City decision makers and others to ensure that its volunteer membership has a prominent voice in preserving our standard of living and property values in Cameron Station. To join the Civic Association, send cash or a check (made payable to the Cameron Station Civic Association) for $10 per person (ages 18 and older) with your name(s), address, phone number and email address to: Cameron Station Civic Association 200 Cameron Station Blvd, Alexandria, VA 22304. To contact the Civic Association please email cameronstacivic@gmail.com.
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