Well-Planned Neighborhoods and Thoughtful Building Designs
To design a new neighborhood, OPAL Community Land Trust works closely with the community and prospective homeowners and tenants. Most OPAL homes are located in Eastsound, close to jobs, schools, and stores. But we continue to look for opportunities to locate housing near Doe Bay, Olga, Orcas Landing, West Sound, and Deer Harbor, in order to help maintain economic diversity in all geographic areas of Orcas Island.
OPAL’s site designs strive to minimize impact on the land and fit into existing neighborhoods. With each successive development, our construction has grown more durable, sustainable, and energy-efficient.
Each neighborhood – Bonnie Brae, Lahari Ridge, Oberon Meadow and Oberon Wood, Opal Commons, and Wild Rose Meadow – has its own character, including its own set of agreements about allowable activities (Conditions, Covenants, and Restrictions) that are written, monitored, and modified over time by the homeowners. The residents of each neighborhood manage their own business affairs, but OPAL staff members are available to assist with special projects or to facilitate meetings, when requested.
Since 1989, OPAL supporters and government funders have enabled OPAL to build or renovate 95 single-family homes, 29 rental apartments, 3,600 square feet of rental office space, and five community gardens.