One brought a futon, another brought a mattress. Sheets, blankets, a table, chairs and even a lamp quickly appeared. By the time her husband arrived that evening, one room was cozily furnished. Now, three years after the first residents moved in, homeowner occupancy is at 50 percent and many of the remaining lots have been sold. While back-hoes, muddy footprints and piles of lumber are still very much a part of the landscape, Cameron Station residents are tuning out the construction noise and tuning in to developing a cohesive community.
Residents say they are finding that there is a niche for everyone.
For example, Emily and Ryan Reilly are offering their border collie, Jake, for training in a GeesePeace program designed to help control the area's Canada geese population. Roland Gonzales, who mentors fifth-graders at Tucker, has just become a member of the city's Traffic and Parking Commission, where decisions about an Eisenhower Avenue connector road will be made. Sparked by an earlier lawn-decorating contest, residents of town houses fronting Duke Street hold their annual Flamingo Fling each August. Pink plastic lawn ornaments, wearing an array of costumes, sprout in front yards, much to the chagrin of those with more subdued tastes. Settling Cameron Station has not been pain-free.