Test Portfolio Template page

OPAL makes EVs More Accessible  

OPAL is collaborating with OPALCO and Island Rides to get more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations installed in OPAL neighborhoods—encouraging OPAL homeowners and renters to reduce carbon emissions and providing equitable access to EV use. Two grant funded programs are benefiting the. OPAL and larger community:  

Green Carshare:   

You may have seen the Green Carshare EVs driving around the island or parked by the community garden at OPAL’s Reddick offices. There are two Chevy Bolts and four EV charging stations: two at April’s Grove and two at OPAL’s offices across from the Reddick apartments. In partnership with Island Rides and funded by a grant from the WA Department of Transportation’s Zero-Emissions Program, cars are now available for all Orcas residents to drive. Drivers must be at least 21+, with a valid WA driver’s license, insurance and a clean driving record. The Green Carshare Program has submitted a new grant application to include EV car shares that can be driven off-island.

To learn more or sign:  greencarshare-support@islandrides.org 

Community EV Chargers:  

With Funding from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, OPAL and OPALCO are working to install up to 10 new EV chargers in OPAL neighborhooods. The first two chargers have been installed at Northern Heights, with additional support from the WSDOT Zero-Emissions Program. One of the chargers is dedicated to Island Rides. The other is for residents of the apartments. Other locations include the new Kidder Way neighborhood by Buck Park, the and the upcoming townhomes on Pea Patch Lane.  

The EV chargers on OPAL properties are primarily for the use by individuals who live in those neighborhoods.  If available, others may use the chargers and then make a donation to OPAL to cover the cost of power and maintenance at https://www.opalclt.org/donate/donate-now/. 

Contact Suzanne Olson at suzanne@opalclt.org.   

  

OPAL’s Newest Board Member

Welcoming Mallory Hagel 

Mallory Hagel is an islander at heart — born and raised on Whidbey Island and now happily living here on Orcas. 

Mallory first moved to Orcas in 2015. With a strong background in labor and community organizing, she helped launch the countywide effort to establish the real estate excise tax (REET) for affordable housing, which was passed by voters in 2018.  

Returning to Orcas in 2023, Mallory now works remotely, providing high-quality benefits to 55,000 home care workers in Washington and Montana.  

She’s excited to be a newly appointed trustee of OPAL. She has also joined the county’s Housing Advisory Committee in its work to provide housing solutions and reduce homelessness. 

Mallory has personally experienced the housing challenges of living on Orcas. “In the five years I was away, I realized how much the island’s housing instability affected me,” she explained.  

Grateful to be back among friends and closer to family, Mallory is eager to help create stability and opportunity for others who live and work here. 

The House That Waited:  

Victor Hartney’s Journey to Home 

That spark led them to become an ISA-certified arborist and to start Wildwood Alliance, a small tree care and landscaping business rooted in both science and respect for the land. It gave them purpose — but not the stability that they needed. Like many who live and work on Orcas, housing was a constant challenge. They had lived where they worked, in a tent, in borrowed spaces, and often with the fear that a change in job could mean losing their roof, too. 

Victor had seen friends purchase housing through OPAL Community Land Trust and decided to apply. Because they had just started a new business, they didn’t meet income requirements for a traditional mortgage loan and the process took longer than expected.  So, they paused Wildwood Alliance, picked up part-time jobs, and submitted pay stubs to prove that they were ‘stable’ — even though it meant earning less in the short term. 

Then, Victor was matched with a home in Bonnie Brae. While the loan paperwork crept forward, they moved again, and then again — this time into a borrowed summer cabin with their aging father in tow. 

In August 2023, it finally happened. The loan closed and the house was theirs. 

Victor’s days look different now. They’re back to mostly full-time tree work. They’re building a shed for the tools of the trade, planting a garden, and thinking about turning the laundry room into a bathroom so their father doesn’t have to climb stairs. They even hung up a floating rack for pots and pans — something small, but deeply satisfying. “Every improvement reminds me: this is mine,” they said. 

Asked what they’d tell others still waiting for the chance to own an OPAL home, they didn’t hesitate: “Hold on. It’s worth it.” 

After moving more than 10 times in the past nine years, Victor has what they have longed for: solid ground beneath their feet and a home of their own. And the Orcas community has gained a permanent resident and resource who cares deeply about the island’s well-being.                 

Q&A with the Candidates for San Juan County Council

October 2024
Two island residents, George Zweibel (Orcas Island) and Sandy Bishop (Lopez Island), asked the candidates for the San Juan County Council questions regarding affordable housing. These questions were designed to gather insights on how each candidate plans to address this critical issue.

Running for Position 1 from San Juan Island are Kari McVeigh and Stephanie O’Day. Running for Position 2 from Orcas Island are Rick Hughes and Justin Paulsen.

The questions cover a range of topics related to affordable housing, including the Council’s role in addressing the housing crisis, specific code changes to encourage development, and the importance of housing for seniors and those on fixed incomes.

---

To read the full Q&A and see each candidate’s responses, please download the attached document below: