Decision on Historic Monument Status Rescheduled for June 26
After Judge James Chalfant issued a preliminary decision on the motion filed by real estate heiress Brinah Milstein and her husband, producer Roy Bank, the Los Angeles City Council has postponed a vote on designating Marilyn Monroe’s former home as a historic cultural monument. Judge Chalfant’s ruling called the owners’ filing an “ill-disguised motion to win so that they can demolish the home and eliminate the historic cultural monument issue.”
The City Council vote was rescheduled for June 26.
Council District 11 Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park requested the delay. Park introduced the motion last September to preserve the home at 12305 5th Helena Drive after the property owners sought to demolish it.
Traci Park stated, “Following the recent court decision and pending litigation, as well as ongoing discussions between the City Attorney’s Office and the property owners, I would like to continue the item for good cause.”
The application to designate Monroe’s home as a historic cultural monument has progressed through the city’s approval process. In January, the Cultural Heritage Commission and later the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee supported it.
Attorneys for real estate heiress Brinah Milstein and her husband, producer Roy Bank, argued in court papers that the city is unlawfully trying to give the home historical recognition. The couple bought the residence last July for $8.35 million and have obtained a demolition permit from the city.
According to the Milstein-Bank court documents, the couple will suffer irreparable harm without a preliminary injunction. They sought a court order to block the monument designation and proceed with demolishing the Monroe structure adjacent to the property to expand their current home. Chalfant’s ruling stated that the couple would not suffer the claimed irreparable harm by being denied a preliminary injunction because the City Council would ultimately address the issue.
