At the eleventh hour, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to save Marilyn Monroe’s former LA-area home from demolition for now, declaring it a historic cultural monument.
The 12-0 vote came Friday in the emergency motion introduced by Councilwoman Traci Park, whose 11th District includes Monroe’s former Brentwood home.
“Unfortunately, the Department of Building and Safety issued a demolition permit before my team and I could fully intervene and get this issue resolved,” Park said in a news conference on Friday.
Park said the house was sold in July and the new owners recently filed a request to have it demolished.
Following the vote, the Department of Building and Safety issued an official notice to “stop construction,” as well a “notice of intent to revoke” the permit for the demolition of Monroe’s home.
“Under the Cultural Heritage Ordinance, this action immediately triggers a temporary stay on all building permits while the matter is under consideration by the Cultural Heritage Commission and City Council,” the notice reads. It also notes that the property shall not be “demolished, substantially altered or removed.”
Demolition is on hold until the city’s Office of Historic Resources conducts a study and analysis of the home, according to Park.
News of the home’s pending demise sparked outrage from local history buffs and fans of Monroe. Park said her office took hundreds of calls from people urging to prevent the planned demolition.
“For people all over the world, Marilyn Monroe was more than just a movie icon,” Park said. “Her story, from the challenging childhood growing up in orphanages and foster homes to become a global sensation, is a shining example of what it means to overcome adversity.”
City News Service contributed to this story.
