Los Angeles City Commission votes to preserve Marilyn Monroe's former Brentwood home

A Los Angeles City commission voted Thursday to preserve the former Brentwood home of Marilyn Monroe and recommended it be designated a historic-cultural monument after it was almost demolished last year at the request of the property owner.

The five-member Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously to prevent demolition efforts of the iconic movie star's home, located at 12000 block of Fifth Helena Drive. The commissioners each shared short remarks on the home's cultural significance.

Barry Milofsky, president of the commission, noted that while Monroe's home should be preserved, efforts to do so should not wait until demolition is pending.

During the meeting, attorney George Mihlsten, representing the property owner, Glory of the Snow LLC, argued the home should not fall under the city's landmark ordinance, citing that the home had been empty and bare, and not worthy of being a monument.

Additionally, they argued the home was not in the public right of way. Sahure also noted that Monroe's home would increase tour bus traffic and disrupt peace in the neighborhood.

Heather Goers, the preparer representing the city of Los Angeles in its efforts to protect the home, countered that first argument that Monroe was waiting for custom furnishing for her home when she died, and even registered her dog's license in the city.

There were also more than 15 people, some preservationists and others fans of Monroe, who joined the meeting in person or online through Zoom. The commission received several emails, too, supporting that Monroe's home be saved for the future.

Adrian Scott Fine from the Los Angeles Conservancy was in attendance, supporting Monroe's home being made a city landmark.

But one strong statement of support came via email from Parisian art historian Jacques Le Roux, calling for the city to formally act and declare the home a landmark.

He noted that in recent years, Monroe's persona has grown into something much bigger than what she herself was -- for multiple reasons.

"Marilyn" has attained the status of "sacred figure."

"It is the only place in the world that grounds Marilyn's myth into history, and the U.S. and world's history," Le Roux wrote in his email. "It is the only physical reminder that remains of the life and death of an extraordinary human being. 'Marilyn' has become part of our -- the U.S. and the world's -- collective unconscious."

He added, "Destroying the only place she owned while alive, and where her transition into a sacred figure started would be a shame, and irreparable error an ignorant act against culture and history."

Kevin Deevey, who described himself as a Hollywood preservationist for many years, also wrote an email to the commission calling for the home's protection. He said the house is part of an identity that is "being lost in Los Angeles," focusing on the home's architectural design.

"The property is zoned as a single-residential and has been there for nearly 95 years, having been originally built in 1929. It is a beautiful example of the Spanish Mission style homes which were so common in Los Angeles at the time it was built," Deevey said in his email.

The L.A. City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee will take up the matter at a future date.

Last year, the City Council approved a same-day motion calling for the preservation of Monroe's home from demolition by having it declared a historic-cultural monument, which Councilwoman Traci Park introduced pursuant to Rule 23 -- a state law that allows immediate action on agenda items.

The Department of Building and Safety revoked demolition permits that had been approved, which would have resulted in the destruction of the 1920s-era home. Monroe purchased the Brentwood home in the early 1960s, where she died after an overdose in 1962 at the age of 36. The Los Angeles Times previously reported that the property was purchased in 2017 for $7.25 million by Glory of the Snow LLC, which is managed by hedge fund manager Dan Lukas, then sold to Glory of the Snow Trust for $8.35 million earlier this year.