July 26 Daily Briefing: Marilyn moving, co-owned homes addressed, and more

TGIF, everyone, where it feels like this week lasted a month. We end the long, long week with a bit of egg on our face after yesterday calling the state’s environmental review act “SEQUA” instead of the correct term “CEQA” in this newsletter. Since we’re both land use nerds, and we know the correct term, it’s even more embarrassing. Some of you thought it was our AI tools that made the mistake, but we’re here to tell you it was just good old fashioned human error at the end of a long work day. The good news is we think we’ve given car makers the name of their next mini van — “The all-new Toyota Sequa” has a nice ring to it!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Swim Away” by Seinabo Sey

LEADING OFF

‘Forever Marilyn’ statue moving to adjacent Downtown Park

Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein announced Thursday evening that the controversial 26-foot-tall “Forever Marilyn” sculpture will be relocated to Downtown Park. The decision comes after years of debate and legal challenges over the statue’s placement in the city.

Driving the news: The city reached an agreement with the statue’s owner, PS Resorts, and the Committee to Relocate Marilyn (CReMa), which had taken issue with the statue’s current location on on Museum Way.

• The specific location within Downtown Park will be finalized within the next 30 days. During the design phase of the park the statue had been shown about 50 yards to the north of its current location on a pad in the park.

Why it matters The statue has been a divisive issue in Palm Springs since its installation in 2021, with supporters citing its celebration of Hollywood ties and tourism potential, while critics argue it’s sexist and blocks views of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Looking back: In its lawsuit, which now appears to be resolved, CReMa claims the city did not properly move to close off public vehicular access on Museum Way when allowing the statue to be placed there. 

• In an effort to negate the lawsuit, PS Resorts had recently asked for permanent vacation of the street. That move was approved by the city’s Planning Commission last month, and finalized by the City Council Thursday evening.

What they’re saying: Following the announcement, Trina Turk, founder of CReMa, told The Post the location is not up to them, “But the park would be an obvious thing, that’s where everybody always thought it was going to go anyway.” 

• “We definitely don’t want it infringing on any other Class 1 historic sites in the city of Palm Springs,” she said, a nod to CReMa’s opposition to the fact the statue currently blocks a view corridor to the architecturally-significant Palm Springs Art Museum.

Dive deeper with our full story.

BRIEFLY

🏡 Council officially approves co-owned homes, with restrictions

The Palm Springs City Council has approved an ordinance allowing up to 30 co-owned homes in the city, ending years of debate. The 3-2 vote includes strict regulations on noise, occupancy, and neighborhood density for these properties.

• The vote came after the ordinance’s second reading, which Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein had hoped to postpone, arguing there were still unanswered questions and those questions could leave the city open to lawsuits from Pacaso or their owners.
  
  
• The new rules limit co-owned homes to two per neighborhood, at least 500 feet apart, and valued at a minimum of $2.5 million. Neighborhoods at the short-term vacation rental cap are excluded.
  
  
• City attorney Jeffrey Ballinger clarified that councilmembers who received campaign contributions from individuals with ties to Pacaso do not need to recuse themselves. The issue had been raised by members of the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood.

What’s next: Councilmembers agreed to pass the ordinance, but will hear three amendments on the issue when they return from their August vacation, including amendments that would force the issue to be brought back before the council within three years, a rule on daytime guests, and a confirmation that Pacaso has no intention of suing the city. 

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YOUR WEEKEND

TODAY

• Summer Sunset Art Walk in the Perez Art District at 4 p.m.
  
  
• “On the Waterfront” film screening at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 7 p.m.
  
  
• Country Western Dancing at Dance Ranch Palm Springs at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

• Indoor Farmers’ Market at the Palm Springs Pavilion at 8 a.m.
  
  
• Friends of the Palm Springs Library book sale at the JC Frey Building at the main library from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
  
  
• Masterclass Brunch: Christmas in July at Wilma & Frieda Palm Springs at 11:30 a.m.
  
  
• Craft Beer Fest at Ace Hotel & Swim Club at 12 p.m.
  
  
• Evolution at the Revolution staged readings at Revolution Stage Company at 1 p.m.
  
  
• “Star Wars: Rogue One – A Star Wars Story” screening at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 5 p.m.
  
  
• Dusty Strings Collective performance and open mic at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Bingo with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at one eleven bar at 6 p.m.

SUNDAY

• Merienda with Chef Michelle Castillo at Play Lounge & Cafe at 3 p.m.
  
  
• Coachella Valley Classical Voices: Magical Music at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church at 3 p.m.
  
  
• Bob & Bing Movie Series: “Road to Morocco” screening at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 3 p.m.
  
  
• “Ray,” the Ray Charles biopic, screens at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 6 p.m.

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AND FINALLY …

If you’ve checked your mailbox lately and seen what you thought was a familiar name, you’re onto something. Our own Kendall Balchan was chosen as one of the “media mavens” featured in “I Heart PS” magazine’s summer 2024 edition, published by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce.

Driving the news: Balchan and eight other area journalists — including those from NBC Palm Springs, The Desert Sun, KESQ, Alpha Media, and KGAY — were featured in the magazine, telling the community what they love about their jobs and what appeals to them about our city.

• Balchan said that meeting meet you, our readers, is one of her favorite parts of being our managing editor. The city’s architecture is one of her favorite features of the city.
  
  
• “Once I started doing more reporting in the city, I fell in love with all its quirks and charm,” she said. “I’m an architecture fanatic, so seeing Palm Springs being held up as one of the Midcentury Modern capitals of the world gives me so much pride.”

Bottom line: “The residents, though, are the pulse of the city, and I’m constantly amazed at their generosity and open-heartedness,” she concluded. “Whenever we write a story about a fundraiser, or an animal that needs adopting, our community is there for them.”