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Desert Hot Springs adopts immediate moratorium on new dollar stores
Summary
The Desert Hot Springs City Council unanimously adopted an urgency interim ordinance to pause permits for new dollar/discount stores in commercial districts for an initial 45 days while staff studies long-term land-use strategies and potential extensions up to two years.
The Desert Hot Springs City Council voted unanimously on May 5 to adopt an urgency interim ordinance placing a temporary moratorium on the issuance of any license, permit or entitlement for dollar or discount stores in the city’s commercial districts.
City planning staff told the council the measure responds to resident feedback about an overconcentration of discount retailers — the presentation cited five existing dollar stores serving roughly 33,000 residents — and recommended a 45-day pause, with the option to extend the moratorium up to two years while the city studies land-use strategies to attract higher‑quality retail and improve commercial corridors.
Staff said the action is intended to protect public health, safety and the economic well-being of commercial areas by allowing time to evaluate zoning, aesthetic standards and other regulatory tools. The staff report said the proposed ordinance would require a 4/5 vote for adoption as an urgency measure; council adopted it and the ordinance went into effect immediately.
One member of the public spoke in favor of the moratorium, calling dollar-store proliferation “a predatory practice” that harms neighborhoods. No speakers opposed the moratorium during the public-hearing period.
Next steps: staff said it will study long-term regulations and return options to the council for consideration before any extension beyond the initial pause.
