Los Angeles is considering restricting tour buses from traveling near a home once owned by Marilyn Monroe, according to a proposal backed by the City Council on Friday.
The Brentwood home was designated a historic landmark by the city in June, a move that helps protect the residence from demolition, after its new owners began preparing to tear down the home.
Monroe bought the house for $75,000 in 1962 and died there six months later, apparently from an overdose. Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the area where the house is located, argued that demolishing it “would be a devastating blow to historic preservation.”
The owners sued the city for trying to turn the house into a historical landmark, claiming it had undergone extensive alterations since Monroe died. “There is not a single piece of the house that includes physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day there,” the suit states.
In June, a judge denied the owners' request for a preliminary injunction to halt the historic designation process. Shortly afterward, the council voted to recognize the house as a landmark.
Amid the debate over the Brentwood home, neighbors had complained that throngs of tourists and fans were bringing unwanted traffic to the area.
Park proposed that the Los Angeles Department of Transportation consider restricting tour bus operations on two stretches near the historic home, one on 5th Helena Drive and the other on Carmelina Avenue.
The City Council voted 13-0 on Friday to move forward with that assessment, a step that could ultimately lead to banning tour buses during certain hours or at all.
Times staff writer Jack Flemming contributed to this report.
