Dick and Hap Fakkema want to give 105 acres of parkland and historic farmstead buildings, including a 1907 barn, to the Oak Harbor community.

The proposed gift is part of a larger proposal to bring the Fakkema brothers’ entire 377-acre farm into the city’s urban growth area so that it can be developed as one giant, well-designed housing development, complete with public trails and large swaths of open space.

The Fakkemas say they could have sold the farm to a developer, but then they wouldn’t have any control over what the development would look like or how much area would become public.

“We really wanted to keep our hands in it and leave behind a legacy,” Hap Fakkema said. “We could just sell it, but we care.”

Residents will have a chance to learn more about the Fakkemas’ ideas and voice their opinion about this and several other proposals — including a large commercial development — at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 25 at the city’s municipal shops on NE 16th Avenue. The planning commission is holding a public meeting on the sponsored amendments to the city comprehensive plan and the commercial lands inventory.

There’s bound to be residents, especially neighbors of the site, speaking in opposition to the Fakkema proposal.

Vern Pederson lives on property next to the Fakkema property, which consists of hay fields and woods from city limits on the west side of Oak Harbor, stretching nearly to West Beach Road. Pederson enjoys the woods and the animals that live there — pileated woodpecker, eagles, deer and coyotes — and hates to see a housing development eat up the site.

“Children in the neighborhood play in the woods, enjoy the wildlife,” he said. “It’s been a real pleasure.”

Many other residents are alarmed by all the growth on the west side of the city and want to see development slowed in the scenic, pastoral area.

The farm is an important piece of North Whidbey history. Capt. James Griffith built the giant barn, two houses and other buildings 100 years ago. He used beautiful rock from France that was ballast in his ship for the foundations of the barn and other buildings, including the outside walls of one of the homes.

The brothers’ parents, Ryan and Jane Fakkema, came over in a big boat from Holland in 1950. Ryan Fakkema went to work on the Whidbey farm owned by his cousins, Harry and Anna Fakkema. He later purchased the farm from them and started a dairy in the early 1960s.

Dick and Hap Fakkema grew up on the farm and took it over from their parents. They were Dairy Family of the Year in 1990. But they were forced to sell the cows in 2001 because of the financial and regulatory difficulties of running a dairy on Whidbey. Today, only one of the original 12 dairies still operates.

It’s very important to the Fakkema brothers that the barn, homes and other buildings are preserved. They would like to help form a nonprofit foundation, perhaps run by the city’s parks board, that would oversee restoration and preservation of the buildings once they are in public ownership.

They say there are nearly endless possibilities of uses for the buildings, especially the giant barn. The buildings could be used for large events, rented out for weddings, or turned into a bed and breakfast or even a museum. The site could host farmers markets, car shows or flea markets.

In order to develop the land the way they want to, the Fakkema brothers feel the acreage eventually should become part of the city of Oak Harbor. They began the process of bringing it into the city’s urban growth area — the first step toward annexation — last year, but the city only agreed to allow 105 acres in.

They are back this year, hoping to get the rest into the UGA. They argue that it doesn’t make sense, and the development won’t be as nice for the community, if they have to do it piecemeal.

The biggest obstacle they face, from a planning point of view, is that the city already has more than enough land in the city and UGA to support 20 years of residential growth, and then some. Last year, city planners completed a comprehensive analysis of housing capacity and updated the UGA boundary with a “cushion” for residential growth by more than 26 percent of anticipated need.

The conceptual plans that the Fakkemas have for development on the land dedicates about 25 percent of the acreage to the public, including a large tract of open space near the buildings and a wide and generous trail system.

The acreage would undoubtedly make very valuable housing. The vast majority of the housing sites would have views of the water and Smith Island. The few sites without water views are near the golf course.

The Fakkema brothers said that the specifics of the development are unknown at this point. Any plans would have to go through a public process, with input from city staff, the planning commission, City Council and the public.

Possible alternatives for the development, called Beach View Farms, include anywhere from 377 to 1,028 homes, according to their application to the city.

“It’s not a question of if the property will be developed,” said Mike Fohn, an accountant who works with the Fakkemas, “it’s how the property will be developed.”