By Janice Podsada
Herald Writer
EDMONDS — Three-year-old Parker Swenson may be the youngest homeowner in the county.
He owns his hand-split cedar shake home, free and clear.
And get this: The city of Edmonds says no property taxes ever, and if anyone tries to collect he’s got police protection.
Edmonds officers who built the playhouse presented Parker with his 48-square-foot home in the parking lot of the Edmonds Police Station.
On Friday, movers came and towed the playhouse to Parker’s backyard.
"It’s big!" said Parker, who fit easily through the 5-foot-tall front door.
Parker’s father, Gary, won the playhouse in an Edmonds Police raffle that netted $5,000. Building materials were donated by Home Depot and The Window and Door Shoppe. Police sold tickets for $1.
The money will be used by Edmonds Police to produce 10,000 copies of the "Teen Yellow" pages, a pocket-size guide for teen-agers that lists everything from local skate parks to mental health counseling.
But Parker, who doesn’t read, was more interested in his new palace than the police publication.
That was OK with officers Bob Barker, Ken Ploeger, Debbie Smith and her husband, firefighter Mike Smith, who built the playhouse. They used a set of $20 Sunset Magazine blueprints and a couple of weekends to frame and roof what Parker’s father, a real estate agent, described as a "cozy, traditional cottage with a spacious front porch."
Others described it as a "craftsman-style home."
There was some disagreement, however, on the architectural influences at play.
Hank Sitko, president of the Edmonds Police Foundation, sized up the 6-foot ceilings, rustic cedar siding, and white-trim windows and saw traces of Barker’s home sweet home.
"I’d call it more — Kentucky backwoods," Sitko said.
"I think you’re right Hank," said Barker, a Kentucky transplant
"The only thing missing is a couple of coon dogs under the porch."
To ensure that Parker has all his papers in order, Swenson told police he plans to dummy up a title and deed "back at the office."
Friday, Swenson said he’ll add a few touches to make Parker’s house a home.
"I’m going to put a lawn chair on the porch and an American flag on the roof."
You can call Herald Writer Janice Podsada at 425-339-3029 or send e-mail to podsada@heraldnet.com.
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