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A City on the Move

By Joan Page McKenna
Photography by Chris Miller/ Imagine Imagery

Desert Hot Springs was California’s fastest-growing city in 2011, yet it retains a small-town, friendly atmosphere. The city’s environmental amenities, attractive housing prices, business and development opportunities, and exceptional views have spurred its steady expansion. The population grew by 53 percent between 2000 and 2010. Its year-round population now numbers 27,672, and the median resident age is 31. City leaders continue to focus on four major goals to propel Desert Hot Springs into the future: economic development, public safety, fiscal stability, and quality of life for residents and businesses.

TOURISM IN THE ‘SPA CITY’
Nestled in the hills and boasting spectacular vistas, Desert Hot Springs is built over one of the world’s finest natural hot mineral water aquifers. Its drinking water has won numerous international awards.

“Desert Hot Springs has so much to offer,” Mayor Yvonne Parks says. “We are surrounded by the mountains and brilliant blue skies. Our views are to die for. Our water is a precious commodity and defines who we are. Not only is our tap water some of world’s best-tasting, but also the hot waters in our spas are therapeutic and provide an essential economic boost to our city.”

The Vortex Downtown Revitalization Plan, adopted in 2010, continues to distinguish Desert Hot Springs as a world-class health and wellness destination. A core area of seven acres at the corner of Pierson Boulevard and Palm Drive, near the Spa Zone, has been planned for business, residential, and hotel development. The Desert Hot Springs Hoteliers Association is marketing the Spa City, and almost 1,000 guests enjoyed the city’s signature spa tour in 2012.

RETAIL DEVELOPMENT
“In 2011, economic development launched as a new priority,” Parks says. “We are focusing on developing incentives, such as a restaurant retail recruitment program, a downtown business recruitment plan, and an industrial development zone.”

The city is reviewing more than $250 million in new private investment projects. Major retailers are already staking claims. Dollar General breaks ground this fall on Palm Drive. Walmart will break ground in fall 2013 on a 155,000-square-foot store. “It will enhance our retail base, because businesses know if a Walmart settles, the demographics will attract other businesses,” Parks says.

“Desert Hot Springs leads the valley in sales-tax growth and was the second-highest community in all of Riverside County — 17 percent, twice the rate of the rest of Southern California,” Parks says. The completion of the Palm Drive/Gene Autry Trail and Indian Canyon Drive interchanges opened up other development opportunities on the more than 4,000 acres that connect the city to Interstate 10. With bold signage on the exit bridges, Desert Hot Springs has more exposure along the freeway, which sees 150,000 travelers daily.

INCREASED MEDICAL CARE AVAILABILITY
The city’s Community Health and Wellness Center opens this fall near City Hall. It will house a 28,000-square-foot Boys and Girls Club with a teen center and gymnasium and an aquatic center with a California Interscholastic Federation regulation-size pool. Borrego Springs Foundation will provide medical services such as low-cost testing and a dental clinic, along with meeting space, in coordination with Desert Healthcare District. “For the past five years, we have been working to bring more doctors to Desert Hot Springs,” Parks says. “Borrego Springs Foundation is planning on bringing 10 physicians, a blood lab, and X-ray lab to our city.”

Riverside County has almost completed its Family Services Regional Center on 14 acres along Palm Drive behind Vons. It will include workforce development and social services offices in addition to a mental-health clinic.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE COMMUNITY
“Public safety has been and always will be our No. 1 priority,” Parks says. “Crime dropped 30 percent from June 2011 to June 2012.” Staffing and community initiatives have made a difference, she notes. “In 2007, we had 21 sworn officers. Today we have 34.”

“We are developing law-enforcement staffing metrics based on best practices. We also developed a strategic community policing initiative, which received statewide recognition with the James Q. Wilson Award,” Parks says. The initiative includes assigning officers to areas of the city and conducting meetings to familiarize residents with the police. “I believe that our ability to more quickly solve crimes has been as a result of this program,” she says.

Desert Hot Springs continues neighborhood cleanups and practices strict code enforcement, especially on abandoned properties.

COMMUNITY RENAISSANCE
Due to statewide budget cuts, the city’s redevelopment agency was eliminated, affecting everything from flood control projects to neighborhood renewal. Desert Hot Springs is working with the oversight board to complete existing projects. “By the end of this year, we intend to have all of our streets in very good condition,” Parks says.

Desert Hot Springs’ three community parks — Mission Springs, Wardman, and Tedesco — were updated with more recreational options, including soccer, baseball, and walking paths.

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum earned a coveted spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

LOOKING AHEAD
“Desert Hot Springs is defined by its resiliency and the rich community spirit that always steers us in the right direction,” Parks says. “We are moving forward to bring to our citizens a quality of life that brings them happiness, security, and a feeling of pride. We continue to aggressively pursue the future. Desert Hot Springs is a city on the move.”