Riverside County releases budget guide ahead of public workshops
Board approves sheriff's plans for hangar at March Air Base
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Board extends moratorium on short-term rentals in Thousand Palms
VOL. 9, 11,
San Bernardino woman overcomes homelessness with help from county By Joe Taglieri
By City News Service
joet@beaconmedianews.com
T
he Board of Supervisors on Tuesday extended a moratorium on the issuance of short-term rental certificates in Thousand Palms and the nearby Coachella Valley community of B Bar H Ranch for another 10 months, to give staff time to draft regulations that address problems stemming from house parties and other activities. The board originally implemented the temporary moratorium March 11, but that suspension was due to automatically expire on April 25. The board's 5-0 vote Tuesday to renew the urgency measure runs to Feb. 28, 2026. County Transportation & Land Management Agency officials are expected to draw up proposed permanent regulations well before that time, so the interim moratorium could be rescinded anytime and replaced with a formal ordinance, following public hearings. "We definitely need quite a bit more enforcement in that area," board Chairman Manuel Perez, whose Fourth District encompasses the Coachella Valley, said ahead of the vote. Last month, Perez surmised that the upsurge
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n the latest installment of a video series on efforts to address homelessness, San Bernardino County officials shared another individual's story of how she overcame homelessness. The latest episode of the county Office of Homeless Services' "Pathways to Shelter" video series focuses on Lucia Silva’s journey through homelessness in the Santa Ana River bottom and on to a more hopeful future after connecting with a county outreach team. Silva grew up in the LA area with her mother and father before moving to San Bernardino when she was 21 to live with her grandmother. There she met someone who became her boyfriend, and he moved into the apartment where Silva and her grandmother lived. She also had children during this period. According to Silva, her relationship was unstable in many ways, officials said. Silva and her boyfriend were evicted from
A neighborhood in B Bar H Ranch. | Photo courtesy of Summer Barringer/Facebook
in boisterous parties at vacation rental properties in Thousand Palms and the ranch area resulted from the "very firm" short-term rental restrictions in place throughout Desert Hot Springs, Palm Desert and Palm Springs, all of which border the communities where the moratorium has been applied. TLMA officials said there are 68 legally sanctioned short-term rental, or STR, operators in Thousand Palms and B Bar H Ranch, which is a 240-acre space in the Seven Palms Valley
northeast of Interstate 10 and southeast of North Palm Springs. Thousand Palms is a few miles farther south, also in close proximity to I-10. Since 2022, 35 properties in Thousand Palms have been flagged for hosting short-term guests without an STR permit, while 27 properties have been flagged in B Bar H Ranch. The latter has 37 legal STRs, while Thousand Palms has 31, officials said. Department of Code
Enforcement personnel have issued numerous cease- and-desist orders in both locations over the last three years, administering fines and other penalties to stop ongoing illegal rental operations, according to the agency. Most neighbor complaints connected to code and sheriff's calls in the area have stemmed from loud parties and roadway obstructions, including lack of parking, during hosted events. It was unclear what
See Short-term rentals Page 31
See Homelessness Page 32
Board tentatively OKs ordinance restricting where e-bikes can operate By City News Service
T
he Board of Supervisors Tuesday tentatively approved an ordinance restricting where electric bicycles can be operated, generally prohibiting them from being driven on pedestrian walkways, along sidewalks or on nature and equestrian trails in unincorporated communities throughout Riverside County. The E-Bike Safety Ordinance was drafted at the request of Supervisor Chuck Washington, who first raised the issue of potential conflicts with e-bikes back in September. See E-bikes Page 31
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