OPAL’s Newest House Arrives by Land and Sea

Moving the Baker House off the barge last Saturday. Photo courtesy of Nate Feder, OIPhoto

Despite a two-day delay caused by high winds, a 1064-sq.-ft., two-bedroom beach house, given to OPAL Community Land Trust by Bruce and Toy Baker’s two sons and their families, was moved last weekend by barge and truck from its decades-old site on North Beach to its new location off Oberon Lane.

“It’s a much-loved family vacation home that the owners wanted to see recycled and reused, rather than torn down,” explained Lisa Byers, OPAL’s executive director. “They approached us and offered the house and financial assistance to move it. It was good for them, good for us, good for the Orcas community and good for the family with low or moderate income that eventually buys it.”

A two-bedroom house, donated to OPAL Community Land Trust by the Baker family, arrived at its new site off North Beach Road last weekend

Nickel Bros. was in charge of moving the 30-ton house. The move took place during the night to coincide with a high tide. The house was hauled from the beach to a waiting barge that carried it less than a mile east to Brandt’s Landing. There the house was off-loaded and moved down the airport runway to Mt. Baker Road. Next, it traveled via North Beach Road to its new site on land already owned by OPAL. It will become the first house on property that adjoins the five houses in OPAL’s Oberon Wood neighborhood.

“The biggest challenge was loading and unloading the barge on the same tide,” explained Adam Greve, operations supervisor for Nickel Bros. “It was an extremely tight schedule in order to reduce costs.”

Originally a one-room cabin, the house dates prior to 1940. Two bedrooms were added, along with a kitchen and bathroom, in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The Baker family (grandparents and parents) bought the house in the late 1960s and used it for more than 40 years. Now the two sons and their wives are building a new vacation house on their North Beach property.

The donated house will require OPAL to revise the plat on its 2.8-acre parcel of land. Once the revised plat is approved by the county, a road and parking area will be added, a foundation poured, utilities connected and renovations made to the house. It is expected to be ready for sale to qualifying buyers by year-end.

OPAL stands for “Of People and Land,” representing a commitment to protecting natural resources while providing permanently affordable homes for people who are vital to the Orcas Island community. OPAL continues to accept applications from people who are not able to purchase a home on the open market. For more information, go to: www.opalclt.org