Request to vacate section of road where controversial sculpture stands is on Planning Commission agenda

The Palm Springs Planning Commission will soon consider a request to vacate a portion of Museum Way where the controversial Forever Marilyn statue has stood since 2021 – a key step toward allowing the towering artwork to remain in its current location long-term.

PS Resorts, the owner of Forever Marilyn, has applied to permanently close off public vehicular access on Museum Way between Belardo Road and Museum Drive. The 26-foot-tall statue has been situated on that stretch of road west of Belardo Road for the past three years.

If the street vacation is ultimately approved by the City Council, PS Resorts would need to renegotiate its license agreement with the city for the statue to remain in place. 

The closure of Museum Way has been a point of contention and a lawsuit, with critics arguing it was approved without authority and others maintaining it cuts off a key pedestrian and vehicle route through downtown. But in late 2023, the City Council amended the Downtown Specific Plan, setting the stage for the request by PS Resorts.

Now, the Planning Commission must find that vacating the street is consistent with the city’s General Plan before the request can advance to the City Council for final approval. It plans to discuss the issue — explained in a staff report here — at a meeting on June 26.

Most utilities have signed off on the proposed vacation, though the Desert Water Agency said it would need to abandon a 12-inch water line beneath Museum Way and relocate some landscaping irrigation connections. Southern California Gas and SCE will maintain their facilities in the roadway via a public utility easement.

The Forever Marilyn statue, which depicts the Hollywood icon in her famous billowing white dress pose from the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch,” has drawn both praise and criticism since its unveiling. Proponents say it celebrates Palm Springs’ Hollywood ties and is a tourist draw, while detractors argue it is sexist and inappropriate and should not interfere with views of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

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