Community Corner
Frank Bogert Statue Removal Planned In Palm Springs Ahead Of Meeting
The controversial statue of the mayor from the 50s and 60s, thought to be associated with the Confederacy, is being placed into storage.
PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Art Collective — a Palm Desert-based fine art services company — will remove and transport the statue of former Palm Springs Mayor, Frank Bogert, Tuesday.
The removal of Frank Bogert's statue — located in front of City Hall, 3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way — will begin at 8 a.m.
The statue will be safely stored, until city officials find an appropriate location to place the statue, according to a release from the city of Palm Springs.
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The city council had unanimously voted to begin the process of the removal on Sept. 29, 2021.
The Friends of Mayor Frank Bogert group worked with Attorney Rod Pacheco to prevent the removal of the statue. They went back and forth with the city's Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB).
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HSPB approved a certificate of appropriateness on Feb. 1 for the removal of the statue, recommending that the city council relocates it to a suitable and publicly accessible site in perpetuity. Pacheco appealed the action on Feb. 10.
The City Council unanimously voted to deny the appeal on Feb. 24, at their regular meeting. They also directed staff to work with stakeholders to find an appropriate location or into a secure storage within 60 days.
City staff made arrangements for the removal of the statue and signed a contract with a local contractor on May 3 when the group did not request an extension for the statute of limitations.
A hearing motion filed by Pacheco for a temporary restraining order to prevent the removal of the statue is scheduled for Wednesday.
