Desert Hot Springs Spa
Desert Hot Springs Spa
Desert Hot Springs , also known as DHS, is a city in Coachella Valley, Desert Empire, Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 16,582 at the 2000 census. The city had seen rapid development and high population growth since 1980 when it had 2,500 residents, to become a city with an estimated 25,000 residents in the year 2008.
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.
Geology
The fact of being situated atop one of the finest natural hot mineral water aquifers in America is a unique geological feature of Desert Hot Springs, although no spring is visible, as each is capped by either a hotel or Mission Springs Water District. It figures prominently into the local tourism industry as there are many spas here. It is, as well, located at the Morongo Canyon Runoff, Morongo Basin. There are numerous electrical wind farm windmills, or aerogenerators, San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, just slightly southwest of the city, adjacent to North Palm Springs, & Whitewater.
Guests at various hotels and spas can enjoy the soothing naturally occurring hot mineral water that is pumped up from the depths of the earth. Desert Hot Springs is a popular exclusive retreat for celebrities seeking the comfort of modern resort life. The city also boasts pure and delicious award-winning drinking water.
History
In 1913 the first homesteader in the area was Cabot Yerxa, who discovered hot water on Miracle Hill. Due to the San Andreas Fault bisecting the hill, one side has cold water, the other has hot. His large adobe, hand built by Yerxa over 20 years, is now one of the oldest adobe structures in Riverside County, and houses Cabot's Pueblo Museum , designated a state historical site after his death in 1965. Cabot's Trading Post & Gallery opened in February 2008.
The town was founded by L. W. Coffee on July 12, 1941. The original town site was centered at the intersection of Palm Drive and Pierson Boulevard and was only one square mile. Coffee chose the name Desert Hot Springs because of the area's natural hot springs.
Desert Hot Springs became a tourist destination in the 1950s because of its small spa hotels and boutique hotels. The city's seclusion appealed to urban "escapees."
Realtors arrived to speculate, and thousands of lots and streets were laid out over a six square mile area. Some homes were bought by retirees and the area incorporated as a city in 1963, with 1,000 residents.
Desert Hot Springs experienced periods of significant 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.
Desert Hot Springs High School opened in 1999, two new public parks and several country clubs were proposed. A hotel resort near the 40-year old Mission Lakes golf club has not been approved by Riverside County.
Public safety
The Desert Hot Springs Police Department was established in 1997 after residents complained to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department about being underserved by a part-time deputy from the Palm Desert regional station.
The City also contracts out for fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Riverside County Fire Station 37 has 1 paramedic engine company. Riverside County Fire Station 36 covers the west end of the city with a paramedic engine company.
Municipal bankruptcy
Desert Hot Springs was financially distressed by a bankruptcy that lasted 10 years but was resolved several years ago. The city is now solvent and has produced a balanced budget for the past two years, even while other California cities find themselves in deficit spending. The city enjoys a favorable credit rating and on May 7, 2008 the Desert Hot Springs Redevelopment Agency was able to borrow 31 million dollars against its tax increment for extensive infrastructure upgrades. The city is one of a few in California to be hiring new personnel, including eight new police officers hired over the last two years, this while other cities implemented layoffs of city personnel due to an economic downturn.
Demographics
As of the census 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 was 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, with the largest group 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.
Politics
In the state Legislature, Desert Hot Springs is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican John J. Benoit and in the 80th Assembly represented by Democrat Manuel Perez. Desert Hot Springs is located in California's 41st congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +9 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 Whitaker Bono Mack.
While the city is located in one of the areas hardest hit by the nationwide mortgage meltdown that has found many cities in financial difficulty, In the 2008/09 fiscal year, the city was the only city in the Coachella Valley to have a balanced budget. At its mid-year review, Desert Hot Springs posted a balanced budget. Revenues had fallen just 5 percent but the city had made ongoing spending reductions amounting to 7 percent.
The city is a city manager form of government with Rick Daniels, former head of the Salton Sea Authority and the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership as its manager. Desert Hot Springs is served by Mayor Yvonne Parks, Mayor Pro Tem Karl Baker, and councilmembers Scott Matas and Russell Betts. In Spring 2009, councilman Al Schmidt resigned his seat on the council in 2009. His seat was filled with an interim appointment, council member Jan Pye who was in turn elected to a full four year term in November 2009.
The city is presently undergoing extensive infrastructure improvements, including repaving of over 30 miles of residential streets. After years of focus on undeveloped areas of the city, it has shifted its focus towards downtown revitalization, including a multi-million downtown façade program.
City Hall is currently located in several trailers.
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 spa hotels, often called "spa-tels." From the late 1990s to the present a number of these boutique hotels have been renovated and revived. With their mid-century modern architecture they appeal to those wanting a unique hotel / spa experience.
One famous spa hotel property in Desert Hot Springs is Two Bunch Palms Resort. In the 1990
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