PORTLAND — Benjamin Kolko will get to keep his tree house, after all.
Portland officials have backed off orders that the 7-year-old boy’s treehouse be torn down, but they still want him to get a building permit.
Officials say they’ll grant the permit for free.
The ruckus over Benjamin’s treehouse began about a year ago when a neighbor complained to the city about it. The Kolkos were told to remove it within a year.
Hoping they could satisfy the neighbor as well as the city, the Kolkos fixed up the treehouse. Benjamin used his birthday money to buy $75 worth of cedar shingles to spruce it up.
But this month, the neighbor called the city to remind officials that a year had passed and the treehouse was still there. The city ordered the Kolkos to remove it or face court action.
People throughout the city rallied to Benjamin’s side after a newspaper story about the treehouse appeared. Some offered advice on how to get around the building code, and others offered money to help fight the city in court. One man even wrote a song about it.
Then, less than two weeks after ordering the treehouse removed, the Kolkos were told all they needed was a “simple building permit,” said P. Samuel Hoffses, the chief inspector.
Benjamin’s parents, Joseph and Jennifer Kolko, quickly applied for the permit, and the city waived the $25 application fee.
“I’m quite sure all (the requirements) will be met,” Hoffses said. “Within the next few days, he can have a placard out in front, signed by me, saying he’s authorized.”
They didn’t realize it, but the Kolkos could have avoided their problems by applying for a permit during the past year. Hoffses said building permits for treehouses are not unprecedented in the city.
Meanwhile, the Kolkos are considering making additional improvements for the treehouse, including a coat of paint and a new ladder.
Jennifer Kolko said the $12 Benjamin received for legal costs will be donated to charity.
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