Thank You, Pete!

In the Fall of 2016, the long-time President of the Seminary West Civic Association, Lynn Bostain, announced she was stepping down to retire to Italy. Into the breach stepped Pete Benavage, a resident of the neighborhood since his early youth. Pete was elected, and ably served as our President since then, coordinating our efforts with our fellow civic associations across the City through the Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations (AFCA), of which he became Co-chair. Pete also served the city and our neighborhood as the Chair of the Beauregard Design Advisory Committee (BDAC), which was set up to advise the City on how well developers’ plans stuck to the guidelines and agreements built into the Beauregard Small Area Plan.

Pete is a thoughtful person, and one who cared deeply about the quality of life in the City, especially the West End of Alexandria. On our behalf, he developed working relationships with City staff and elected officials, all with the purpose of preserving our neighborhood despite the inevitable development pressures from the growing Northern Virginia economy. He led the SWCA in dealing with many issues, among them traffic and safety, affordable housing, short-term rentals, code enforcement, parks, and voter information during City Council election years.

Alas, Pete and his wife moved from Alexandria in the past month. They knew the move was coming, as they and their neighbors all were bought out by the developer of the forthcoming Upland Park multi-use development, the impacts of which Pete worked hard to minimize with the intent to ensure it would fit into the community. With his departure and resignation, the Vice President (that’s yours truly) assumed his role through the end of his term in early 2024.

Pete, on behalf of the Board, it was a pleasure to work with you for the past six years. Thank you so much for your service. The Seminary West area is the better for what you have contributed over the years. Enjoy your retirement to Spotsylvania County!

Sincerely,

Owen Curtis
President, SWCA