
Community Foundation otorga a OPAL una subvención de $250,000 para April's Grove

With the largest grant in it’s history, the OICF Board generously contributed $250,000 to OPAL’s April’s Grove affordable rental project.


With the largest grant in it’s history, the OICF Board generously contributed $250,000 to OPAL’s April’s Grove affordable rental project.


This week OPAL’s board of trustees submitted a letter to the editor of the Islands’ Sounder in support of Proposition 1.


OPAL Community Land Trust will soon start to remove trees at the April’s Grove property. Jeanne Beck and Lisa Byers have worked for OPAL for most of its 28 years so they understand taking down trees may be hard to witness. OPAL is striving to keep as many of the existing trees as possible and hopes knowing more about the planning and design process will help ease the transition.
For the full Islands’ Sounder Guest Editorial by Jeanne and Lisa click here.


With activity commencing on the April’s Grove site this fall, we at OPAL have begun compiling a list of email addresses for interested parties who would like updates on all things April’s Grove. If you are interested in receiving email updates about what is happening on the April’s Grove site please contact our Communications Manager, Crystal Mossman at crystal@opalclt.org.


Site preparation will soon begin for April’s Grove, OPAL’s neighborhood of 45 new rental residences on North Beach Road. Located across from Children’s House and the Funhouse Commons, April’s Grove will consist of studios to three-bedroom townhomes. Each dwelling will be home for individuals and families who live or work on Orcas Island and need stable, affordable rental housing.


Rita and Dr. Stephen Bailey generously donated one quarter of their Kidder Way parcel in a recent sale of the property to OPAL. The Bailey’s gift has not only provided a permanent home for an Orcas High School teacher and his family, but will also allow OPAL to create further affordable housing on the three remaining lots.


On Friday, August 10, Senator Maria Cantwell held a roundtable discussion at the OPAL conference room to find out more about what affordable housing issues we face in San Juan County. Along with the Senator and her staff, the roundtable was attended by OPAL staff, a few board members and residents, San Juan Community Home Trust, San Juan County’s Affordable Housing Coordinator and local news media.
Topics ranging from who is in need of affordable housing in the San Juans to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the upcoming vote on establishing a San Juan County Home Fund were discussed.

Please reserve Saturday, June 30 on your calendar and plan to attend OPAL’s annual celebration dinner: Housing Touches Everyone: A Gala OPAL Evening. The event will be held at the Orcas Center beginning at 5:30 p.m.
You will enjoy a delicious meal made by Chef Jon Chappelle of Doe Bay Café. Later on, join in the dessert dash and a paddle raise to support permanently affordable housing on Orcas.
Early event sponsors include: Bossy’s Feltworks, Island Market, Islanders Bank, Kevin Ranker and Tina Torri, Rock Island Communications, San Juan Insurance Services, San Juan Propane, Stoltz Kau Architects, Washington Federal Savings Bank.
Tickets are $125 per person. To reserve your place, click here to purchase tickets online or call 360-376-3191.

Join us on Thursday, April 26 for OPAL’s annual meeting and potluck at the Episcopal Church Parish Hall in Eastsound.
At 5:00 p.m., enjoy hors d’oeuvres, business meeting, election of renewing trustees, and a presentation on new rental housing and the new Island Loan Fund.
We also will honor retiring Trustee Penny Sharp Sky.
At approximately 6:00 p.m., OPAL will provide soup and bread. Please bring your own place setting. If you care to, bring a potluck item, your choice of salad, dessert or appetizer.


In the spirit of the holidays, Brita Brahce made a generous donation to OPAL, helping to bring the April’s Grove affordable rental neighborhood one step closer to reality. Brita and her story were featured in an article in Orcas Issues. Margie Doyle writes, “A young woman values the community and mission of OPAL Community Land Trust and realizes that ‘the best things in life aren’t things.’ ” Click here for the full story.