OPAL’s Wild Rose Meadow Supports Local Economy; Open House Scheduled for January 9

OPAL's Phase II of Wild Rose Meadow homes. Photo courtesy of Terra Firma

Contributed by Judy Whiting, OPAL Outreach and Communications Manager

Island workers are busy making 14 new homes in Wild Rose Meadow, across from the medical center on Rosehip Road so families seeking affordable housing will be able to move in to them in 2010. This construction will complete OPAL’s newest neighborhood of 32 high-quality, energy efficient residences.

General contractor spokesman Justin Paulsen of Terra Firma NW ticks off an impressive list of local contractors and suppliers who are creating the neighborhood including Orcas Excavators, Happy Acres Inc, Orcas Electric, ACL Plumbing, Orcas Drywall Inc., Kucklick Landscape and Design, Island Sheetmetal and Gutters, Island Hardware and Supply, and Sea Island Sand and Gravel. ACL Plumbing is a San Juan Island firm; the rest are all from Orcas.

“We are happy to help support the local economy during these difficult times, by employing so many island companies,” states Helen Bee, OPAL board president. “When we were making the decision a year ago about whether or not to move forward with this construction in 2009-10, despite the major recession, we thought hard about the financial alternatives. If we stopped construction and waited for better financial times it would have cost significantly more. We also felt compelled to build homes for people on our waiting list. We’re glad to be able to do our part to help islanders.”

An open house will be held at the property on Saturday, January 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. OPAL encourages everyone to attend, especially prospective homebuyers for this or other OPAL houses. Cookies and hot cider will be offered while guests tour the house. OPAL staff will be there to welcome you and to answer questions.

Visitors will have an opportunity to explore a completed 4-bedroom house, experience the neighborhood garden and landscaping in Phase I, or acquaint themselves with the new neighborhood.  “A few of the original Phase II homebuyers have recently dropped out, making homes available to homebuyers. It’s a good time to see what could be available to qualified buyers,” adds Julie Brunner, OPAL housing manager. “We also typically have a few home re-sales annually, so I encourage anyone considering a permanently affordable house to start the process of becoming qualified. Visiting us at this open house would be a good place to start.”

A quick tour of the house specifications reveals many green building features, including metal roofing, cement-board siding, hardwood floors and wool carpets. Less obvious features include on-demand water heaters and energy usage monitoring equipment to help homeowners’ conservation efforts. Each house has Convectair electric heat and a propane fireplace that will provide heat even if the electricity is out. Convectair heaters pull air into the unit from the floor and push warm air out the top of the unit, which causes the air to circulate around the room and makes the temperature more even throughout the area.

“We’re glad to be working with OPAL on these houses,” said Paulsen. “During these tough economic times it is great to be providing affordable, energy efficient housing to Orcas residents while at the same time providing many, much needed, local jobs.

“By taking a holistic approach to the design and specification of these homes, we are reducing the energy consumption, benefiting not only the homeowners by way of lower utility bills, but also lessening the demand on our electrical infrastructure. Further, by planning ahead with pre-installation measures, these homeowners will be better poised to take advantage of developing technology as it becomes available,” he notes.

“We’ve applied many things we’ve learned over the last 20 years to make these homes high quality, energy efficient, and family friendly,” said Lisa Byers, OPAL executive director. “Some examples: every home is designed for aging in place; they take advantage of southern exposure for solar gain; and each has an exterior storage shed,” she adds.

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. Incorporated in 1989, OPAL now provides homes for 84 households on Orcas Island, and 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.

For further information, call OPAL at (360) 376-3191.