Desert Hot Springs, California
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| Desert Hot Springs, California | |
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|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Riverside |
| Area | |
| - Total | 23.3 sq mi (60.3 km²) |
| - Land | 23.3 sq mi (60.2 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 1,076 ft (328 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 16,582 |
| - Density | 711.7/sq mi (275/km²) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP codes | 92240-92241 |
| Area code(s) | 760 |
| FIPS code | 06-18996 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1656484 |
Desert Hot Springs, also known as DHS, is a city in Coachella Valley, Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 16,582 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.3 square miles (60.3 km²), of which, 23.2 square miles (60.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.13%) is water.
[edit] History
The first homesteader in the area was Cabot Yerxa in 1913. He discovered the hot water on Miracle Hill. Due to the San Andreas Fault bisecting the hill, on one side it is cold water, the other side is hot. His large adobe, hand built by Cabot over 20 years, is now one of the oldest adobe structures in Riverside County, and houses Cabot's [[Old Indian Pueblo Museum [3], designated a state historical site after his death in 1965. Cabot's Trading Post & Gallery opened in February 2008 and is open 7 days a week from 8 till 3.
The town was founded by L. W. Coffee on July 12, 1941. The original town site was centered on the intersection of Palm Drive and Pierson Blvd and was only a square mile in area. Coffee chose the name Desert Hot Springs because of the area's natural hot springs caused by seismic activity.
Desert Hot Springs became a tourist destination in the 1950s because of its small spa hotels or boutique hotels. The city's seclusion appealed to urban "escapees."
Realtors arrived to speculate real estate appraisal of thousands of vacant lots on streets are laid out over a six square mile area. Over time, some homes are bought by sun-seeking retirees and the area incorporated into a city in 1963, with only 1,000 residents.
Desert Hot Springs experienced periods of dizzying growth in the 1980s and 1990s when most of the vacant lots were filled with new houses and duplex apartments. The city's population doubled in the 1980s and increased by 5,000 in the 2000 census.
In 1993, a 3-star hotel, Mirage Springs Hotel Resort opened in DHS. Despite good reviews and providing much needed financial revenue to DHS, Mirage Springs closed its doors in 1998. Another hotel, the Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, has since occupied the site.
The Desert Hot Springs High School opened in 1999, two new public parks and several country club were proposed. A hotel resort near the 40-year old Mission Lakes golf club has not been approved by Riverside County. At issue is the Multi Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) which all the Coachella Valley Cities, Riverside County, the federal government, and environmental organizations endorse. The MSHCP provides protection of the last remaining desert open lands by limiting development. Desert Hot Springs voted not to participate but has recently reversed itself and is seeking re-admission to the plan.
The Desert Hot Springs Police Department was established in 1997, after residents complained to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department about being "underserved" by only a part-time deputy from the Palm Desert regional station.
The City of Desert Hot Springs contracts for fire protection and emergency medical services(EMS) with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection(Cal Fire). Fire Station 37 has 1 paramedic engine company and if needed, receives support from other Riverside County Fire stations.
Desert Hot Springs has been financially distressed by a bankruptcy that lasted 10 years and resolved only a few years ago. The town is now solvent. However, Mayor Yvonne Parks stated in the Desert Sun March 12, 2008, "in 2010, based on current revenues and anticipated expenditures through the fiscal year 2009-2010, this city will be fiscally insolvent." As of May 7, 2008 The Desert Hot Springs Redevelopment Agency borrowed 31 million dollars (see the Desert Sun May 7, 2008).
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 16,582 people, 5,859 households, and 3,755 families residing in the city. The population density was 713.2 people per square mile (275.4/km²). There were 7,034 housing units at an average density of 302.5/sq mi (116.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.18% white, 6.12% black or African American, 1.44% Native American, 1.97% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 16.39% from other races, and 5.83% multiracial. 40.40% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
There were 5,859 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.45.
In Desert Hot Springs the age of the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. Desert Hot Springs has a reputation as an active adult community, where many retirees choose to live.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,987, and the median income for a family was $29,126. Males had a median income of $27,873 versus $21,935 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,954. About 22.4% of families and 27.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.1% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over, one of the highest for cities over 10,000 in southern California.
Several racial or ethnic groups live in Desert Hot Springs, the largest group are of Mexican and Central American ancestry. Ethnic areas such as the Korean American section of 8th Street and Cholla Drive, thousands of American Jews made the city their home, and according to the Desert Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the city's population is over 10 percent black. The city has a high proportion of Native Americans, most of whom are members of the Cahuilla tribe in proximity to the Agua Caliente Mission Band of Cahuilla Indians tribal board in Palm Springs.
[edit] Politics
In the state legislature Desert Hot Springs is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican Jim Battin, and in the 80th Assembly District, represented by Republican Bonnie Garcia. Federally, Desert Hot Springs is located in California's 41st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +9[2] and is represented by Republican Jerry Lewis.
Desert Hot Springs is the only city in the entire Coachella Valley in the 5th Riverside County Supervisor District served by Marian Ashley. It is the only city in the entire Valley not served by Congresswoman Mary Bono.
City politics include many recalls of City Council and Mayors over the years.
City leaders had employed a City Manager (Jerry Hanson) paid more than the Governor of the State of California while the city was in bankruptcy.
Today, the City Manager is Rick Daniels, former head of the Salton Sea Authority and the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership.
DHS is served by Mayor Yvonne Parks, former Planning Commissioner and leader of the Republican Woman's Federated. Scott Matus, Mayor Pro Tem, owns the UPS store in town. Councilman Karl Baker is an educator and businessman. Councilman Al Schmidt is a real estate developer. Councilman Russ Betts is a local businessman with management experience in international manufacturing.
[edit] Boutique Hotels and Spas
Desert Hot Springs is home to a number of hot mineral water spas. During the 1950s and 1960s the town had over 80 various spa hotels, often called "spa-tels." From the late 1990s to the present a number of these boutique hotels have been completely renovated and revived. With their mid-century modern architecture they appeal to travelers who want a unique hotel / spa experience.
One of the oldest spas in Desert Hot Springs is Two Bunch Palms. In the '90s it was a location in the movie The Player.
Other spas in Desert Hot Springs include The Miracle Springs Resort and Spa and The Spring Resort and Spa. [3]
In 2008, two Desert Hot Springs spas were listed on Tripadvisor's list of top ten "Best Hidden Gem" spas: El Morocco Inn and Spa and the Living Waters Spa. [4]
[edit] Modernist Architecture
Desert Hot Springs is the home of a building by the celebrated architect John Lautner, known as the Desert Hot Springs Hotel. The hotel was purchased and restored in 2000 by Steven Lowe. Lowe died in January 2007 and the hotel is currently for sale.[5]
In 2006, the architecture firm of Marmol Radziner Associates designed a sustainable, modernist prefab home featured in the November 2006 issue of Dwell (magazine). [6] The home served as a protype for the firm's efforts to develop a series of prefab homes for the general market.
[edit] References
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Will Gerrymandered Districts Stem the Wave of Voter Unrest?. Campaign Legal Center Blog. Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ Hotel and Spa Guide of Desert Hot Springs, [1]
- ^ Tripadvisor, 2008, [2]
- ^ The John Lautner Foundation, http://www.johnlautner.org/Deserthotsprings.html
- ^ "Desert Utopia", Dwell, November 2006, http://www.dwell.com/homes/prefab/4239671.html?page=1
[edit] External links
- City of Desert Hot Springs
- City of Desert Hot Springs Hotel Website
- Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce
- Desert Hot Springs Historical Society
Template:News Sources for Desert Hot Springs
