Earlier editions: 2026-07
Desert Hot Springs Municipal Code Ch. 17.210 Desert Land Ventures Specific Plan
Desert Hot Springs Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Desert Hot Springs
Cite as: Desert Hot Springs Municipal Code Chapter 17.210 · Text as of 2026-10-04
§ 17.210.010. Desert Land Ventures Specific Plan map.¶
The area of the Desert Land Ventures Specific Plan is set forth on the following map, including the establishment of planning areas PA-1 and PA-2:
(Ord. 666 5-15-18)
§ 17.210.020. Planning areas PA-1 and PA-2 permitted uses.¶
The following tables for permitted uses and development standards shall govern within planning areas PA-1 and PA-2; any definition, procedure or other standard not contained within these tables shall be subject to the provisions of the Zoning Code.
Table 5-1 Permitted Land Uses
| Land Use | Planning Area (PA) and Land Use District | Planning Area (PA) and Land Use District | Planning Area (PA) and Land Use District |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA 1 Mixed Use | PA 1 Freeway Frontage Overlay Zone | PA 2 Open Space/ Conservation | |
| INDUSTRIAL | INDUSTRIAL | INDUSTRIAL | INDUSTRIAL |
| Agricultural and Resource | Agricultural and Resource | Agricultural and Resource | Agricultural and Resource |
| Commercial gardening (indoor/ |
DR | NP | NP |
| Crop production (indoor/ |
DR | NP | NP |
| Plant nursery, with on-site sales (indoor/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Plant nursery, without on-site sales | DR | DR | NP |
| Manufacturing and Processing | Manufacturing and Processing | Manufacturing and Processing | Manufacturing and Processing |
| Food products | DR | DR | NP |
| Laundry and dry-cleaning plant | DR | NP | NP |
| Light manufacturing facility | DR | NP | NP |
| Medium manufacturing facility | DR | NP | NP |
| Marijuana facility, including greenhouses 1 | CUP & RP | NP | NP |
| Mixed use office/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Printing/ |
DR | NP | NP |
| Recycling—Reverse vending machine | DR | DR | NP |
| Warehouse and distribution | DR | NP | NP |
| Wholesale | DR | DR | NP |
| COMMERCIAL | COMMERCIAL | COMMERCIAL | COMMERCIAL |
| Recreation, Education, and Public Assembly | |||
| Adult day care facility | CUP | NP | NP |
| Art gallery and museum | DR | DR | NP |
| Commercial recreation and entertainment facility: including health/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Convention center and facility | DR | DR | NP |
| Library | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Organization office or facility | DR | DR | NP |
| Outdoor commercial recreation | CUP | DR | NP |
| Recreational vehicle storage | CUP | NP | NP |
| Sports facility and outdoor public assembly | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Studio for dance, art, music, photography, etc. | DR | DR | NP |
| Theatre and meeting hall | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Retail | Retail | Retail | Retail |
| Accessory retail use | DR | DR | NP |
| Auto, mobile home, motor vehicle sales, used or new | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Automobile parts and supply stores | DR | DR | NP |
| Bars and drinking establishments | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Bakery, coffee, ice cream, and other similar uses, with or without drive-through | DR | DR | NP |
| Book stores | DR | DR | NP |
| Building material/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Certified farmers’ market | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Commercial retail uses such as clothing, food, gifts, services, and other similar uses | DR | DR | NP |
| Convenience stores | DR | DR | NP |
| Drive-in and drive-through sales | DR | DR | NP |
| Drug stores | DR | DR | NP |
| Factory outlet centers | DR | DR | NP |
| Farm and ranch supply stores | DR | DR | NP |
| Furniture, furnishings, home equipment stores | DR | DR | NP |
| Fuel and ice dealers | DR | DR | NP |
| Hardware/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Liquor stores (offsite consumption) | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Marijuana dispensary facility 2 | CUP & RP | CUP & RP | NP |
| Outdoor retail merchandise display and activities | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Outdoor retail sales, temporary | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Restaurant, without alcoholic beverage service | DR | DR | NP |
| Restaurant, with alcoholic beverage service | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Restaurant, drive-in, takeout, fast food | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Retail store, general merchandise | DR | DR | NP |
| Second/ |
CUP | CUP | NP |
| Shopping centers, 12,000 square feet or more | DR | DR | NP |
| Video rental stores | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Warehouse or club stores (big-box stores) | DR | DR | NP |
| Financial, Professional, or Personal Services | |||
| Automatic teller machine (ATM), stand-alone (only when proposed inside of a building/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Banks and financial institutions, with or without drive-through | DR | DR | NP |
| Basic personal and professional service, nonmedical: including barber/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Basic professional services, medical: including chiropractors, dentistry, diet/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Bed and breakfast | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Body piercing and tattoo establishments | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Business-supportive services: including copy, fax, mail box rental, supplies; business equipment rental, sales, and repairs | DR | DR | NP |
| Car wash | CUP | NP | NP |
| Commercial parking and motor vehicle storage | CUP | NP | NP |
| Drive-in and drive-through services | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Hotel and motel, with or without spa | DR | DR | NP |
| Medical labs and research facilities | DR | DR | NP |
| Office, general, administrative, professional, or medical | DR | DR | NP |
| Office, temporary | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Repair and maintenance of consumer products | DR | DR | NP |
| Repair and maintenance of motor vehicles (indoor/ |
CUP | NP | NP |
| Research and development facilities | DR | DR | NP |
| Self-storage, mini-warehouse, etc. | DR | NP | NP |
| Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals (no boarding) | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Vocation and business trade schools | DR | DR | NP |
| UTILITIES, ENERGY FACILITIES, AND SERVICE SYSTEMS | |||
| Electrical substation 3 | NP | NP | CUP & JPR |
| Pipelines and utility lines, underground | DR | DR | JPR |
| Public utility and safety facilities | DR | DR | CUP & JPR |
| Sustainable energy facilities, large scale (e.g., wind energy conversion systems, solar farms/ |
CUP 4 | NP | CUP & JPR |
| Sustainable energy facilities, small scale (e.g., solar panels on building/ |
DR | DR | NP |
| Telecommunications facilities, major (cell towers, etc.) | CUP | CUP | CUP & JPR |
| Telecommunications facilities, minor (antennae for building rooftops, or small intra-project communication uses) | DR | DR | NP |
| Transit stations and terminals | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Transit stop shelters | CUP | CUP | NP |
| Water/ |
DR | DR | DR & JPR |
Source: Section 17.12.020 (Development Permitted and Conditionally Permitted Uses) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance Key: DR = Design Review; CUP = Conditional Use Permit; JPR = Joint Project Review (review undertaken by and between City of Desert Hot Springs and Coachella Valley Conservation Commission); RP = Regulatory Permit. Uses designated as DR are permitted uses and require zoning and specific plan consistency review, as well as Design Review; uses designated as CUP are uses that require approval of a Conditional Use Permit; and uses designated as RP require the approval of a Regulatory Permit. All land uses within Planning Area 1 shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.80 (Design Review) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance—land uses subject to the approval of a Conditional Use Permit shall be pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 17.76 (Conditional Use Permits) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Notes:
| 1 | Marijuana facility collectively means any marijuana cultivation, distribution, testing or manufacturing facility, as those terms are defined in Chapter 17.180 (Marijuana Facilities Operation and Location) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and California Proposition 64 (2016 Marijuana Legalization Initiative). Marijuana facilities, including any proposed greenhouse, shall be developed and operated in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.4.2, Marijuana Facilities Standards and Regulations, and Chapter 6.11, Marijuana-Related Greenhouse Design, of this specific plan. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Marijuana dispensary facility means any such facility that is licensed as a dispensary pursuant to the California Business and Professions Code , as this term is defined in Chapter 17.180 (Marijuana Facilities Operation and Location) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and California Proposition 64 (2016 Marijuana Legalization Initiative). Marijuana dispensary facilities shall be developed and operated in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.4.2, Marijuana Facilities Standards and Regulations, of this specific plan. |
| 3 | The provisions outlined under Section 5.4.3, Large-Scale Energy and Water/ |
| 4 | Large-scale sustainable energy facilities in Planning Area 1 shall only be permitted through approval of a CUP and when proposed in conjunction with (and in support of) the submittal of a formal development application for a primary land use, such as a warehouse or distribution facility. Large-scale sustainable energy facilities shall not be permitted in Planning Area 1 as stand-alone development features or improvements. Large-scale sustainable energy facilities shall also not be permitted in Freeway Frontage Overlay Zone. |
(Ord. 666 5-15-18)
§ 17.210.030. Planning areas PA-1 and PA-2 development standards.¶
The following tables for permitted uses and development standards shall govern within planning areas PA-1 and PA-2; any definition, procedure or other standard not contained within these tables shall be subject to the provisions of the Zoning Code.
Table 5-2 Development Standards and Regulations
| Standard/ |
Planning Area (PA) and Land Use District | Planning Area (PA) and Land Use District | Planning Area (PA) and Land Use District |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard/ |
PA 1 Mixed Use | PA 1 Freeway Frontage Overlay Zone | PA 2 Open Space/ |
| Gross lot area (minimum) | 20,000 square feet | 20,000 square feet | — |
| Lot coverage (maximum) | 75% | 75% | — |
| Distance between buildings (minimum) | 20 feet | 20 feet | — |
| Street setback (minimum) | 10 feet | 10 feet | 10 feet 1 |
| Interior property line setback (minimum) | 0 feet | 0 feet | — |
| Building height (maximum) 2, 3 | Building height (maximum) 2, 3 | Building height (maximum) 2, 3 | Building height (maximum) 2, 3 |
| Commercial/ |
50 feet/2 stories | 50 feet/2 stories | — |
| Hotel | 75 feet/7 stories | 75 feet/7 stories | — |
| Parking spaces required (minimum) | Parking spaces required (minimum) | Parking spaces required (minimum) | Parking spaces required (minimum) |
| Commercial/ |
See footnote 4 | See footnote 4 | — |
| Marijuana cultivation facility | 1 per 2,500 square feet for cultivation space 1 per 250 square feet for administrative/ office space | 1 per 2,500 square feet for cultivation space 1 per 250 square feet for administrative/ office space | — |
| Floor area ratio (maximum) 5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — |
Source: Chapter 17.48 (Off-Street Parking Standards), Section 17.12.030 (Land Use District Development Standards) of Chapter 17.12 (Commercial Districts), and Section 17.16.030 (Land Use District Development Standards) of Chapter 17.16 (Industrial Districts) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Notes:
| 1 | For planning purposes, the minimum street setback noted here is 10 feet; however, the final street setback will be determined during the Joint Project Review undertaken by and between City of Desert Hot Springs and Coachella Valley Conservation Commission. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Building height determinations shall be in accordance with the provisions of Section 17.40.160 (Height Determination) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. |
| 3 | The maximum building heights are as shown in this table; however, architectural features/ |
| 4 | Unless otherwise specified in this table, parking requirements for commercial and industrial uses shall be per those outlined in Chapter 17.48 (Off-Street Parking Standards) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Parking areas shall be designed in accordance with the standards outlined in Section 17.48.060 (Design Standards) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance. |
| 5 | Maximum floor area ratio noted here is per that outlined in Table 3-1, Land Use Development Summary, of this specific plan. |
(Ord. 666 5-15-18)
§ 17.210.040. Review and approval.¶
A. All uses within the Desert Land Ventures Specific Plan planning areas shall be subject to review and approval for conformance with this chapter.
B. Uses which are indicated as “DR” (Design Review) shall require, for any related construction or development, review and approval by the Planning Commission, in accordance with Chapter 17.80 (Design Review).
C. Uses which are indicated as “CUP” (Conditionally Permitted) shall require review and approval by the Planning Commission in accordance with Chapter 17.76 (Conditional Use Permits).
D. Required findings for approval of Design Review (Section 17.80.040) or Conditional Use Permit (Section 17.76.050) shall include consideration of the Design Guidelines of the Desert Land Ventures Specific Plan.
E. Uses which are indicated as “RP” (Regulatory Permit) shall require the approval of a Regulatory Permit by the City Manager in accordance with Chapter 5.50 (Marijuana Facilities Regulatory Permit).
F. Uses which are indicated as “JPR” (Joint Project Review) shall require a review undertaken by and between City of Desert Hot Springs and Coachella Valley.
G. Uses which are indicated as “NP” (Not Permitted) shall be prohibited.
(Ord. 666 5-15-18)
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