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The Celebrating the Rose Street Neighborhood!
The Celebrating the Rose Street Neighborhood!
Blue River, OR – On December 10, 2025, the McKenzie Community Land Trust (MCLT) welcomed Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, state and local leaders, fire survivors, partners and hundreds of neighbors to a blue sky ribbon-cutting ceremony for MCLT’s Rose Street Neighborhood——the first firewise community land trust houses to be built since the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire that destroyed over 500 homes and leveled downtown Blue River.
Founded in 2022 in direct response to the Holiday Farm Fire, MCLT is a community-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that keeps housing and land in local hands so the McKenzie River Valley can remain a thriving place where people can live, work, play, and raise families—for generations.
Over 150 neighbors, partners, and supporters gathered in downtown Blue River on a sunny day in December to celebrate the completion of six new firewise, 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath homes (1,300 sq ft), and hear inspiring remarks from guest speakers including Gov. Kotek, Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch, DevNW Executive Director Emily Reiman, local business owner and State Rep. Darin Harbick, and MCLT Board President & McKenzie Community School Superintendent Lane Tompkins.
State Representative Darin Harbick recounted his own childhood growing up in Blue River and celebrated rural investment: “This project represents hope, investment, and a belief that rural Oregon is worth building into, not writing off.”
Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch acknowledged the unique challenges of rural redevelopment, noting, “Redevelopment here is not the same as inside city limits... It's more complicated than anyone expected,” while highlighting Lane County’s support for the McKenzie Community Land Trust’s permanently affordable, Firewise homes.
Gov. Tina Kotek called the project a statewide model, saying, “You showed the worst that can happen—and now you're showing the best.” She added, “Real recovery means partnerships... No one does this alone,” and described Rose Street as a “blueprint” for disaster recovery, noting,
“This development is just the beginning... Keep telling us what you need. We're here for you.”
The ribbon cutting event highlighted the valley's determined, community-led recovery—tackling the fire's enduring impacts that destroyed hundreds of homes and sparked a severe affordability crisis. In a scenic corridor drawing heavy tourism, rebuilding has overwhelmingly favored short-term rentals and second homes, leaving scarce options for the multi-generational families and essential local workers who lost everything and need places to call home again.
MCLT Executive Director Tabitha Eck emphasized the power of community-driven resilience: “The community was looking for a tool to rebuild itself. And that’s what a community land trust can do. It’s the community owning its own land.” Eck further stressed the need for broader solutions, noting that while these homes serve lower-income households at 80% AMI, the MCLT will continue advocating for affordable options for middle-income families who are also being priced out of the valley.
Emily Reiman, Executive Director of DevNW and development partner for the Rose Street project, highlighted the profound local control at the heart of the project: “Having the opportunity to be part of keeping this land in a permanently affordable land trust that is operated by a local board—made up of neighbors of these future residents—feels extra special on this day.” She emphasized the lasting impact of a community land trust which addresses immediate housing needs while creating “long-term wealth-building that can be passed to the next generation.”
MCLT Staff & Board pictured here with Gov. Tina Kotek and Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch following the Ribbon Cutting, L to R: Tabitha Eck, Braden Ravenscraft, Brandi Crawford Ferguson, Darren Cross, Karl Morgenstern, Lane Tompkins, Melanie Stanley, Joel Zeni, Jane Wilson, Lacey Joy, and Cliff Richardson.
Not pictured: Austin Willhite, Samantha Winningham, Doug Murkley, Kiger Plews, Robin Meacher, Maureen Galbreath, and Mike Bruce.
Following the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, attendees had a chance to tour homes in the new Rose Street Neighborhood, a resilient, community-driven recovery effort in the McKenzie Valley, born in 2022 from the urgent need of a community chosing to rebuild itself stronger and more equitably after the wildfire.
These brand new, community land trust (CLT) homes—priced at an accessible $250,000–$275,000—are prioritized for fire survivors and McKenzie River Valley workforce earning 80% or less of area median income (AMI). Through the CLT model, the McKenzie Community Land Trust holds the land forever in trust, allowing homeowners to purchase the house while leasing the land for 99 years and build equity. Buyers also access below-market mortgages and up to $150,000 in down-payment assistance for fire survivors.
To learn more about the Community Land Trust model, visit our 'What is a CLT' page for more information.
For those interested in our Rose Street Neighborhood homes or future housing opportunities in the McKenzie Valley, please fill out an Application of Interest and tell us about your housing needs.
We are grateful to DevNW, our development partner from the very beginning, who has a proven track record of developing high quality, affordable community land trust homes in Lane County and throughout Oregon. Along with support from Lane County, donors, and local foundations, this development was funded by Oregon Housing Community Services and a gap loan from Summit Bank.
Resilient design choices include building firewise homes with metal roofs, Hardie Plank siding and a defensible perimeter with a firewise landscaping donated by Walker Macy.
Walker Macy Landscape Design for the Rose Street Neighborhood (left).
Walker Macy Team with Board member, Jane (right).
Other design choices include Dark Sky light accommodations, a 50 ft Riparian Buffer and partnership with Pure Water Partners, and Green Stormwater Infrastructure courtesy of grants from the Upper Willamette Stewardship Network's Urban Waters Partnership, Upper Willamette Soil & Water Conservation District, and the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation. The landscape design is currently being implemented by Rexius, an experienced family-owned business who is putting the final touches on this beautiful neighborhood!
This milestone event marks the beginning of broader ambitions, as MCLT advances plans for additional community land trust neighborhoods throughout the fire-impacted McKenzie River corridor. These future phases include mixed-use developments designed to deliver more permanently accessible housing, local jobs, and sustained economic vitality for the valley.
To learn more about how you can investing in rebuilding the McKenzie community, please visit our 'Ways to Support' page.
To see media and news articles about this landmark event, please visit our 'In the News' page.
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