More than 10 months after purchasing 11 acres on Pea Patch Lane for a community services campus, the collaboration of OPAL Community Land Trust, Orcas Island Food Bank and the Orcas Community Resource Center have exciting progress to share about how ideas generated from numerous community meetings were integrated into the site design and also to invite community feedback on a potential solar microgrid project for the campus.

Report back to the community

On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Environmental Works – the architectural firm for the Pea Patch campus – will report back to the community with a final site plan. The site design includes the new buildings, pathways, parking, stormwater management, landscape plans, greenspaces and wetlands; the plan reflects community and stakeholder feedback collected over months of public workshops and neighborhood feedback. This session at Emmanuel Episcopal Parish Hall from 5-6 p.m. is open to the public for review of the site plan and Q&A with the architects and Pea Patch Steering Committee.

Solar and battery microgrid

Funded by a planning grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Pea Patch Community Campus and Säzän Group, engineering consultants, have launched a comprehensive study to determine the feasibility of building a solar and battery microgrid on the shared property. As part of the study, a survey is now open for community feedback to help shape how the project will provide community benefits.

The Pea Patch Microgrid Survey is open online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SHQYTDK and takes less than five minutes. The survey closes on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m.

A microgrid project would offset energy usage, increase affordability for the 20 new townhome rentals, the new Food Bank and Resource Center buildings, as well as provide reliable backup power during a disruptive event – such as a power outage or natural disaster.

The Pea Patch Project, a collaboration of OPAL Community Land Trust, Orcas Island Food Bank and the Orcas Community Resource Center, is codeveloping a community service campus on Pea Patch Lane on the north end of Eastsound. The collaboration will provide a permanent home and increased capacity to address local food insecurity, including storage for emergency community food supplies; social services to help our community thrive and achieve equitable well-being; and 20 new townhome rentals to serve households of low income with supportive services. Site work is expected to begin in 2025. Learn more at https://www.opalclt.org/in-the-works/pea-patch-property/.