Council approves starting process to permanently close portion of Museum Way that contains ‘Forever Marilyn’ statue

In a 4-1 vote following two hours of public comment and discussion, the Palm Springs City Council on Monday elected to clear the way for the possible permanent closure of a portion of Museum Way that currently holds the “Forever Marilyn” statue.

The permanent closure could take months to be official, but makes an approved ballot measure seeking to do the same unnecessary, potentially saving tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Councilmembers were told Monday that a special election to consider the initiative, which gathered enough signatures to appear on a ballot, could cost up to $100,000 if done outside the November 2024 General Election.

The city could also save money in litigation. City Attorney Jeff Ballinger told councilmembers that, combined, a group suing the city over the location of the statue — the Committee to Relocate Marilyn (CReMa) — and the city have spent nearly $500,000 on legal fees and an equal amount could be spent if the lawsuit continues into 2024.

In the lawsuit, which was kicked back down to a trial court earlier this year, CReMa alleges that without proper public participation the city violated the law by approving a three-year, temporary closure of Museum Way to make way for the statue’s installation.

CReMa members and others ultimately want the statue moved so it does not interfere with views of the Palm Springs Art Museum, a Class 1 historic building.

One idea that could result in a compromise, floated by many of the nearly two dozen residents who spoke during Monday’s meeting, would be to simply move the statue 100 feet to the north into Downtown Park. That’s where early renderings of the park showed it residing.

“To be clear, we do not object to Marilyn herself,” said Peter Moruzzi, an historian and preservationist who helped found Palm Springs Modern Committee. “What we want is for Marilyn to be moved to another location such as the northeast portion of the new Downtown Park or perhaps Frances Stevens Park.

“Overall, the Palm Springs Art Museum is too important historically, architecturally, and culturally to be concealed by an enormous statue. It’s time to move Marilyn to another site.”

While some on the Council expressed an openness to considering that move, that was not on the table Monday. Also not at issue were arguments for and against the statue itself, which has proven to be a popular tourist attraction but also been called crass and misogynistic.

Instead, Monday’s meeting was to consider whether the city should change its Downtown Specific Plan, adopted in 2016, to allow for the permanent closure to move forward, place the initiative on a future ballot, or seek more direction from staff. All councilmembers aside from Mayor Grace Garner voted to change the plan, kicking off what could now be months of review at City Hall, including multiple public hearings.

For now, the initiative, backed by hoteliers and others led by Hilton Palm Springs General Manager Aftab Dada, is off the table, meaning voters will not be asked to make a decision about the permanent road closure.

If the permanent closure leads to the statue remaining in place indefinitely, that would be all the better, according to Dada and others. The artwork is a major draw for tourists, they maintain, and any effort to make it less visible from the city’s main drag would only hurt the tourism industry, including the art museum.

“It’s time to stop this nuisance,” Dada said of the ongoing litigation. “She is the catalyst. She is the draw.”

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