OPAL Land Trust's 20th Birthday Celebration tomorrow afternoon, May 29

Contributed by Judy Whiting

For 20 years “Of People and the Land” (OPAL) Community Land Trust has been working to make homes affordable for all Orcas Islanders, even as real estate prices have risen steadily and construction costs have likewise soared.

Since its incorporation in May 1989, OPAL Community Land Trust has grown from a small group of idealistic volunteers with a vision for sustaining community into a thriving island resource, responsible for creating 77 permanently affordable homes (including the first phase of the new Wild Rose Meadow neighborhood), along with seven rental apartments and 3,600 square feet of office space.

Tomorrow, Friday, May 29, OPAL will celebrate its 20^th anniversary, combined with its annual meeting at the Wild Rose Meadow neighborhood on Rosehip Road at the intersection with Mt. Baker Road (across from the Medical Center), from 4 to 7 p.m.

All islanders are invited to come and celebrate OPAL Community Land Trust’s 20 years on Orcas, including its 100th homebuyer and its newest neighborhood, Wild Rose Meadow.

A potluck will be hosted by OPAL, providing grilled hot dogs, veggie kabobs and condiments; bring a salad or dessert to share, plus your own plate, utensils and beverage. There will be special children’s activities.

OPAL homeowners and guests will provide musical entertainment, and there will be tours of two recently completed, permanently affordable homes (two- and four-bedrooms).

The brief annual meeting, scheduled for 5:45 p.m., will include election of new board members, unveiling of the long-range plan for 2020, and sharing of the 20th anniversary birthday cake with a special happy birthday to co-founder Peter Fisher, whose birthday is the next day.

There will also be a presentation of two annual awards: the Michael and Penny Sharp Sky Award for Volunteer Service that Builds and Sustains Community; and the Peter Fisher Award for Dedication to the Cause of Fair Housing.

Parking has been arranged at Orcas Center or the Medical Center; limited on-site parking is available for anyone who has difficulty walking.

When the final 14 homes in Wild Rose Meadow are completed next year, OPAL will have provided 91 quality, energy-efficient, environmentally responsible homes that will remain affordable to Orcas islanders for generations to come.

OPAL’s affordable housing benefits the whole community:

• Families with children: Stable housing promotes stable families. Of the island’s school-age children, 10 percent currently live in OPAL homes and neighborhoods. Five of the 27 seniors graduating this year from Orcas High School are OPAL residents, including both the valedictorian and salutatorian.

• Island workforce: OPAL homeowners hold down a long list of jobs that are vital to our community and economy; most have more than one job or occupation. They work in healthcare, education, construction, retail, food service, banks and offices, maintenance, infrastructure, personal services and the arts.

• Community volunteers: OPAL homeowners are also active volunteers, donating hundreds of hours to nearly 50 different community organizations and activities.

• Island economy: In 2008 alone, OPAL brought almost $1.1 million in grant revenue to Orcas and oversaw the expenditure of more than $3.7 million, the bulk of which paid for construction of the first 18 homes in Wild Rose Meadow. OPAL hires and buys locally; this includes excavation, site work, construction and landscaping, as well as construction materials. OPAL is employing 15 to 20 island residents on the Wild Rose Meadow project.

• Community diversity, vibrancy and character: The community land trust model of home ownership helps bridge the gap between the island’s increasingly high property values and the low incomes of many residents. Affordable housing helps maintain the island’s economic diversity and culturally vibrant character. Because homeownership encourages commitment and stability, it contributes to the long-term health and well-being of the Orcas community.

OPAL’s five neighborhoods, scattered site homes and apartments are home to 84 families, nearly 3 percent of the island’s households. When resales are included, OPAL has served 100 different Orcas families over 20 years.

• OPAL neighborhoods:

Opal Commons, 18 homes, completed in 1994;

Bonnie Brae, 24 homes, completed in 1999;

Oberon Wood, 5 homes, completed in 2002;

Lahari Ridge, 6 homes, completed in 2005;

Wild Rose Meadow, 32 homes, first 18 homes will be completed by July 2009, and final 14 homes are scheduled to be finished in 2010.

• OPAL scattered site homes: six houses scattered around the island; one bought and renovated in Olga (2001); one bought and renovated in Eastsound (2001); one bought and renovated in Eastsound (2002); two Madrona Street cottages built on a donated lot in Eastsound (2006); one bought through OPAL’s first legacy gift, Obstruction Pass (2008).

• OPAL apartments and offices: Seven rental apartments and 3,600 square feet of office space on the Reddick property (2004).

• Future plans: OPAL acquired land in Orcas Village for up to 12 homes (2007); land also remains for six additional homes in the Oberon Wood neighborhood. In addition, OPAL may play a bigger role in the affordable rental market; OPAL has entered into an agreement to purchase the Lavender Hollow apartments (2007), pending new grants for purchase and renovation.

OPAL remains at the forefront of affordable housing:

• OPAL was one of the first community land trusts in the West.
• OPAL was the first CLT in the nation to receive funding from the USDA Farmer’s Home Loan Program (1993).
• OPAL executive director Lisa Byers was the founding president of the National CLT Network (2006-2008).
• OPAL continues to share its knowledge and experience, nurturing the growth of other young CLTs through training and mentoring