Apart from the landscaping currently underway at The Hamlet senior housing site, nearly all of the construction is done and several residents have been living in the buildings since this summer.

The Lopez Housing Options (LOHO) project, which is located across from the Post Office, features an adult family home with 24-hour supervised care, 14 cottages (for living), and a common building. Occupancy is set at 25-30 people.

Landscaping – including planting trees and laying grass seed – was put behind schedule due to weather, but it is “progressing quickly and should be done by October. We are very much open for business and forty-three percent filled,” said board chair Rip Van Camp.

The one- and two-bedroom cottage units welcomed residents on August 1 – six cottages are filled and the remainder are available for qualified applicants. Neighbors Gale McCallum and Kathaleen Larsen have been enjoying their new digs for several weeks. Both women have owned waterfront homes on Lopez for years, but they are thrilled with the advantages of living in the village.

“I love it! It’s a beautiful spot,” said Larsen. “I thought I would miss the view,” added McCallum. “But it’s fun to wave to everyone who passes by. It’s very interesting to watch the village activity.”

The cottages were designed to both look out at the town and have a view of what McCallum refers to as the “courtyard,” the middle area within all the homes that will soon have trees and walkways. The cottages were also built with unique features and layouts – Van Camp says they did not want them “cookie-cutter.” Skylights, lots of windows, and open space are some of the highlights of the dwellings.

McCallum has been on the LOHO board for five years and always intended to move in. “I decided my house was too large, but I didn’t want to leave Lopez. So this was perfect.” She walks the village circuit frequently: library, market, thrift shop, and bank. Both women have welcomed quite a few visitors to their new homes. “But I’ve told my friends, ‘If the blinds are closed then I’m not ready to receive anyone!’” laughed McCallum.

Two residents of the cottages are the parents of Lopezians, who were living on San Juan and Orcas. “We had a lot of requests for this. So we opened up a small percentage to non-Lopez people, because it served the needs for Lopez residents by taking care of their parents. We’ve remained dedicated to the Lopez connection,” noted Van Camp.

Housecleaning, outdoor maintenance, and utilities are covered in the rental price. “We tried to take off all the burden of living on an island. We cover everything, except for phone and satellite, in the rental fee,” said Van Camp.

“This turned out to be a relative bargain,” agreed McCallum. “It’s nice that you don’t have to worry about painting the house or managing the yard.”

“LOHO has 96 percent of its funding for this $5.5 million dollar project. This has not been a broad island campaign and nor will it ever be,” said Van Camp. Funds for the non-profit have come from the USDA, regional banks, and a small group of Lopez community members – less than 30 donors have contributed $1 million. It will be self-funded on an ongoing basis by rent from its residents.

The Gathering Place is the only building left to finish: the cabinets, flooring, and other interior items will be done once the remaining $220,000 is raised. The building is being partly funded by a bequest from Helen “Louie” Lewis, as well as money from the family of Lewis’s partner Dort Horn, both of whom are deceased.

“We are eager to have it done. It will have an exercise room, a craft room, and a huge fire place,” said McCallum. It will also be the office for Lopez Hospice and Home Support and LOHO.

The Hamlet House adult family home provides 24-hour care, and if, years down the road, a cottage resident needs that kind of facility, he/she will have priority for a spot. The Hamlet House, which is 5000 square feet, opened in June and to date has had two of its six bedrooms occupied with residents. The home also offers convalescence and respite care for the short- or long-term. Terry Fox, NAC, is the Residence Manager and Administrator, and, along with Daniel Debois, a caregiver. Van Camp says the two come highly recommended: they took care of a Lopez resident’s parents for 17 years.

To inquire about rental prices and availability, call the LOHO office at 468-2620. Someone is available to show cottages from 10-12 on weekdays. The Hamlet House adult family home phone is 468-3800. More information is also available at www.loho.org.