By Darrell Kirk

Journal contributor

When San Juan County residents purchase property on the islands, they become both private landowners and members of Orcas Power & Light Cooperative/Rock Island, a member-owned nonprofit utility serving the county since 1937. This dual role creates a unique tension between individual property rights and collective cooperative responsibilities, particularly when utility infrastructure crosses private land. Such is the case with property owners Elizabeth Covert and her husband, Denis Goudie, who have taken legal action against OPALCO/Rock Island Communications. Their neighbors, Norma and George Andreadis, are taking action in a similar lawsuit against the utility.

The dispute

The facilities in question include what the County code designates as Category

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