NEWS

Site Design Begins for Buck Property

July 18, 2007

The Friday Harbor Town Council voted on June 21, 2007, followed by the County Council on November 27, 2007, to include the Buck property in the expansion of the Friday Harbor Urban Growth Area (FHUGA). These actions paved the way for the Home Trust and the Buck family to request annexation of the property by the Town.

The design team pictured here has developed plans for the entire 46.5 acres - 30 acres to be retained by the Buck family and 15+ acres to be developed as permanently affordable housing. A master plan for the whole property will be submitted to the Town at the time of an annexation request.

The Design Team includes current and former members of the Home Trust Board of Directors, members of the Buck family, Richard Hobbs as our strategic advisor, Jed Clark as the architect, John Hart as engineer, and Tom Berger as landscape architect.

The group met July 3rd and reviewed the initial issues of road placement, density, wetlands and setbacks, and goals for both the Buck family and the Home Trust. The group also walked the site and enjoyed the views from the upper portions of the property, the 3 acres of garden currently under cultivation by Jai Boreen and his family (which will continue on his portion of the property), and the potential for a new “mixed income” neighborhood.

The Home Trust is very excited about the incredible potential this property has to become a model neighborhood for permanently affordable housing, in a mixed-income neighborhood, using low impact development techniques and incorporating an element of open space and trails.