What is a General Plan? 

A General Plan identifies the community’s priorities and their vision for the future of their City. Desert Hot Springs’ current General Plan was prepared in 2000 and the City has experienced many changes in and around the City since that time. A new General Plan will provide a “blueprint” for growth and development in Desert Hot Springs and will include long-range goals, policies, and maps addressing important community topics ranging from public safety to the natural environment and from transportation to economic development. 

There are seven mandatory topics (or “elements”) that must be covered in every General Plan. This includes land use, safety, noise, circulation, open space, conservation, and housing. For each topic, the General Plan will include goals, policies, and programs to address the issues.  

Land Use – identifies areas for residential, commercial, industrial, public facility, open space and other uses 

Circulation – street system capacity and design, water, sewer, solid waste, and energy utilities 

Safety – natural and man-made hazards, emergency response facilities and services 

Noise – existing and future noise sources, policies for protecting residents from noise  

Open Space – preservation of natural open space and the creation of parks for recreational use 

Conservation – preservation of natural resources including biological, soils, water, and cultural resources 

Housing - determine amount of housing current and future housing needs, provision of affordable housing 

In addition to these required elements, the General Plan will also cover economic development and community design issues. 

Why Update the General Plan? 

General Plans are not intended to be static and unchanging. They are usually updated as the community changes and new opportunities and challenges arise. The city last updated its General Plan in 2000. Our community has grown and changed over the past nine years, and an updated Plan can provide the direction we need to address the tough issues facing our city today. With the city near the end of the process of annexing 4,000 acres of land extending to Interstate-10 and the city implementing the Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP), now is a perfect time to incorporate these changes into the General Plan. By updating the General Plan we can ensure that we preserve our resources, enhance our community’s character, and support our neighborhoods.