— from Judy Whiting —
In response to the widely expressed need for more Orcas rental housing, OPAL Community Land Trust has signed a purchase and sale agreement to acquire nearly four acres on North Beach Road – across from Children’s House and north of the orchard – in order to build approximately 30 units of affordable rental housing.
The property, owned by Jim and Betsy Nelson of Olga, will be developed over the next several years. “Betsy and I are happy that this property will be serving a community purpose.” said Jim Nelson. “There is a real need for more affordable rental housing on Orcas Island. This feels right to us.” The Nelsons will retain ownership of the adjoining orchard.
In announcing the land acquisition, Lisa Byers, OPAL executive director, also announced the selection of Environmental Works Community Design Center, Seattle, as the project architect. The firm specializes in community facilities, affordable housing and other public works. OPAL’s building committee recommended hiring Environmental Works after reviewing proposals from 11 architectural firms and interviewing five finalists. The landscape architect will be John Barker, and the civil engineer will be Greg Bronn with Hart Pacific Engineering.
OPAL estimates the cost of the new rental housing project at $9.2 million, with over 90 percent of the funding coming from federal and state grants, tax credits and loans. The balance will be raised through donations from private individuals and foundations.
Prior to starting the design process, OPAL is soliciting community input over the next few months to determine how many homes of what sizes to construct. A series of focus group discussions are scheduled for late June. These will include neighboring property owners, islanders who are currently seeking rental housing, and realtors, employers, the schools, EPRC members, community leaders, and social service providers.
An initial design charrette is planned in July. There will also be other opportunities over the summer for the community to discuss the project at the Farmer’s Market and other venues. “We want to hear what the community has to say,” said Byers.
This will be OPAL’s first all-new construction project since building the Wild Rose Meadow neighborhood, across from the Medical Center, from 2005 to 2010. Since then OPAL has concentrated on relocating and “recycling” existing houses and renovating the eight buildings and 22 units of the Lavender Hollow Apartments.
Incorporated in 1989, OPAL serves 132 rental and ownership Orcas Island households and continues to accept applications from people who are not able to purchase a house in the traditional market. For more information, go to: www.opalclt.org or call (360) 376-3191.
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A perfect location for a planned cluster of residential units…and oh so badly needed to keep our growing island community with the diversity of housing needs…all within the town core….great project
Brilliant! Thank you to OPAL and the Nelsons. Being so close to the schools – I bet there will be a waiting list for these!
Kudos to all involved and good fortune for a successful project.
Please don’t misunderstand my following question. It is not meant negatively or as a challenge. I’m curious about the costs. The quoted $9.2 million for 30 units works out to just over $300,000 per unit. I understand that there are infrastructure development costs and that this figure isn’t for each “unit” by itself. Is the cost per unit normal for what is built as affordable housing, or does the cost also include set aside monies for long term maintenance of the facilities? What rental rate is considered affordable these days?
who will manage these properties and how much will they charge for the management services provided. We currently manage 119 homes andf provide accounting and management services at a reasonable and competative rate.
Ah, Wonderful! What little Green Space left in town will be gobbled up for Housing for Worker Bees who serve the outlying, peaceful, Quiet areas of Our Island. Ah, yes, Agenda 21 personified! Of course, those who live outside of town are happy about this! Thanks to the Growth Management Act! (which we Can Opt Out of!)
Spirit Eagle
Spirit Eagle, I thought the same thing about opting out of the Growth Management Act when the bill was passed last year allowing certain counties to do so. The way I read it though we did not voluntarily adopt the GMA we were mandated under population criteria so we can’t opt out. The GMA was passed in 1990/1991 and the requirement we fall under is a county with a population of less than 50,000 but with a growth of more than 20% over the previous 10 years. Our population in 1980 was 7838 and in 1990 it was 10035 according to the census and that is an increase of 28%. If we really can opt out like you say we are running out of time because it has to be done by 12/31/15.
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/6194%20SBA%20GOV%2014.pdf
Spirit Eagle, where do you live, and and with whom do you associate with who can ONLY live on Orcas with the good fortune of having OPAL here to provide affordable housing…owning and rental?? Don’t bite the hand that feeds us. It’s ” not in my back yard”, it’s that it is “only in my back yard” that we can retain the best, I might say, families to continue the amazing vitality, creativity and spiritually aware island population that we have here. It’s a gift!!
Hopefully, as few trees will be removed as possible.
AND, another thought: provide a percentage for senior housing…might get grant money for that. It could feed into the future Senior Housing facility that will be erected in the Orchard…again taking out as few heirloom trees as possible. Think ahead…………………
Darlene: Thanks for the reference above. (Senate Bill SB6194). I will continue my research with that. I worked back in the late “90’s/2001 to stop the GMA and it’s mandate to make Eastsound an Urban Growth Area. What is so horrifying is that under this designation the requirement is “Build Out” which means Every empty Lot Has to be developed, eventually. Density increases Exponentially in an Urban Growth Area UGA. I watch as it happens. Those who stood to make a great deal of money pushed for the Growth Management Act and bought up land in Eastsound and elsewhere and did quite well, but in that prosperity for them the character of Eastsound has changed. It doesn’t even Feel like a quiet island town. The Quiet outlying areas are mandated to have 5,10 and more acres per house. While I understand keeping the Island’s Rural Character, I do believe that we can agree on a more equitable solution to this conundrum by Opting Out of The Growth Management Act first.
Spirit Eagle
WOW. Whatever your position might be on this issue, it is of significant magnitude and of consequence to the community. An associate suggested to me recently that Eastsound/Orcas needs more middle income housing.
Curiously, this project seems to speak to the idea of rental properties rather than what we all understand as the traditional OPAL ownership model.
My understanding of that model is that the occupant owns the building and OPAL retains ownership of the land. How does that work for a rental?
Jim McCorison points out that each of 30 homes would cost some $300,000.
The infrastructure share of that figure is likely to be upwards of $30,000 which would include sewer, water, power, broadband(?). Too, up to thirty homes on four acres is snug!! Are traffic flow and patterns on that curve an issue?
Most certainly this project needs a lot of discussion beginning with the EPRC and consideration of the County GMA Plan. I have long expected something to happen on the “old McGlinn” property. I support meaningful discussions and planning by the community on this significant project, and applaud OPAL for such a bold undertaking. Notably, this is OPAL’s first project “inside” of the Eastsound village so careful, thorough planning is vital.
I strongly recommend that OPAL management meet with the infrastructure organizations as soon as possible in order to discuss the scope of this project.
9.2 million for 3+ acres and 30 affordable rental housing units?
Really??? Someone is making out like a bandit on this deal.
Spirit, I hope you find a way for us to opt out and get our council to do it. I’ve only been here since 2002 and have been lucky enough to rent the same place since 2004. If I’m not mistaken it was the Friends of the San Juans who wanted us to adopt the GMA and also were behind the guest house/ADU moratorium even though over 70% of the population was against it. I believe that is the biggest contributing factor to the affordable rental crisis we find ourselves in. If both can be overturned we can start to house our worker bees, like myself, in other outlying areas.
OPAL: Try and make pleasing housing in the future. Cramming as many houses as you can legally cram into as small a space as possible is neither artful nor decent. This shows a lack of concern for the people who will be living in these homes.
Use you imagination, imagine you live in one of these homes you are planning to build. Wouldn’t you want to enjoy your home and the space around it?
The people in these Islands who work all their lives want to live in a decent setting, in nice housing, not crammed together.
Thank You!!