“Forever Marilyn” is one step closer to planting its feet in the middle of Museum Way following a decision by the Palm Springs Planning Commission on Wednesday.
The 4-0 vote clears the way for the city to allow the 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe to remain permanently in place, despite years of opposition. It represents a victory for PS Resorts, a hotel industry group that owns the statue and has advocated for its installation, while a setback for the Committee to Removal Marilyn, a group of residents who have sued the city in an effort to to force statue. to be moved.
Without commenting, commissioners voted to recommend to the City Council that the section of Museum Way marked “Forever Marilyn” be abandoned.
In a memo to the commission, the Engineering Services Department said the placement of “Forever Marilyn” on Museum Way was consistent with the city’s general plan.
Members of the PS Resorts board of directors did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
The vote is the latest in a series of actions the city has taken to ensure the statue can legally remain in place. In December, the council voted 4-1 to amend the Downtown Palm Springs Specific Plan regarding Museum Way, opening the door to permanently retain the “Forever Marilyn” statue in its current location.
The action was in part an attempt to counter one of the arguments in the lawsuit against the city, which claimed Palm Springs could not close a public street without holding a public hearing. The city initially sidestepped this requirement by saying the street closure was temporary. However, a 2023 4th District Court of Appeals ruling stated that while cities can close roads for a few weeks, a multi-year closure was not allowed.
The lawsuit is still moving through the court system, but a vote by the city council could negate the need for further developments.
“Because CReMa’s current lawsuit is based on the theory that the city’s temporary eviction of this street was not authorized under the California Vehicle Code, this permanent eviction under the California Streets and Highways Code would undermine the substance of their current lawsuit irrelevant,” wrote City Attorney Jeffrey Ballinger in an email to The Desert Sun.
Still, attorneys representing CReMa sent the planning commission a letter ahead of the meeting arguing that the statue is in fact inconsistent with the city’s general plan and that an environmental study is needed before the statue can be legally installed.
“The official street holiday process is what should have happened back in 2021 before the statue was installed,” said Trina Turk, a Palm Springs business owner who helped found CReMA. “It’s kind of like they’re going backwards to do what they should have done a few years ago.”
She said shortcomings in the application to the planning commission raised future legal action, adding that she would have to consult her lawyers if the city moved forward with the street vacation process. A GoFundMe page hosted by the group has raised $112,930.
“All we want is for the statue to be removed from the museum,” she added. “We recognize that it is a valid tourist attraction, but as architectural patrons we believe that its placement in front of the museum is inappropriate and also illegal.”
The matter will then be considered by the city council at a subsequent meeting.
This story contains previous reporting by Desert Sun journalist Paul Albani-Burgio.
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘Forever Marilyn’ moves closer to permanent residence on Museum Way
