Leave The World Better Than You

Welcome to the Avery Township website. Whenever people hear about some large-scale construction project going on deep in the woods above Oakland Bay, WA, naturally they want to know: What's going on up there, what's it all about? We like being good, communicative neighbors and, moreover, our project will over time be a tremendous boon to the local economy, so this website is to help neighbors and Mason County residents and officials understand our one-of-a-kind project, rolling out piece by piece over the next few years.

Avery Township is a rural events / retreat / activity center encompassing over 2,000,000 square feet of parklands, farmlands, and forests. It is located near Shelton, WA, 90 minutes SW of Seattle. For 2008 our primary focus is construction. However, we hosted successful events in 2007 with more on the calendar for 2008, so we do open our gates now and then during construction if something interesting comes along, needing a home.

Once complete, visitors step back in time to participate, not just observe, what life was like 200 years ago. There will be something for everyone: kids and grown-ups, city and country folks --and especially for culturally / environmentally / heritage conscious visitors in search of a unique, engaging, memorable experience in a tranquil, pristine, picturesque natural paradise.

Many of the venues at Avery Township will be available for rent and can accommodate anything from small and mid-size retreats / events / workshops / educational camps to large-scale music or arts festivals. Priority is given to groups with a positive, powerful social or cultural mission --in other words, people that are doing something material to leave the world better than they found it.

In 2007, County Commissioners voted unanimously to rezone Avery Township. Everyone wins: the Mason County economy & work force, visitors & tourists, local farmers & entrepreneurs, and the regional educational, artistic, and cultural experience and community.

Our new zoning is wonderfully versatile. In accordance with the Washington State Growth Management Act, Mason County has defined allowable uses in MCC RU216, including: "...lodging, recreational cultural retreats, campgrounds, music festivals, festival sites, artist colonies, fish ponds, trails, private parks, gardens open to the public, animal viewing farms...(et al)."

The primary vision for Avery Township is to serve small groups (e.g. 500 or fewer). However, we are also perhaps the largest privately-owned site in Western Washington that can host larger musical, theatrical, and other performing arts events without having to ask for special regulatory permission.