The first two homebuyers in OPAL Community Land Trust’s new neighborhood, Wild Rose Meadow, have moved into their homes.

The neighborhood of 18 homes across from the Orcas Medical Center will be completed and occupied by July. OPAL will deliver several homes each month from now until then.

The houses feature 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.

“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 are: every home is designed for aging in place; they take advantage of southern exposure for solar gain; and each has an exterior storage shed.”

An open house on March 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. will give islanders a chance to look at some of the nearly completed homes.

“Some of the Phase II homes are not yet spoken for, so it’s a good time to get to see what could be available to qualified buyers,” adds Julie Brunner, OPAL housing manager.

OPAL stands for “Of People and Land,” representing a commitment to protecting natural resources while providing permanently affordable homes for people in the Orcas Island community. Incorporated in 1989, OPAL now provides homes for 68 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 or call 376-3191.