Walmart to start collecting signatures for new store
It’s been a topic of discussion for the past six years in Desert Hot Springs. Should there be a Walmart in the city or not?
Now it looks like the company is taking steps to possibly put the issue in the hands of voters in November.
According to a press release from the company and Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas, Walmart will be using the initiative process to push for construction on an 18 acre plot of land it already owns.
“We have done the studies and we know that $27 million was spent by Desert Hot Springs residents in the three closest Walmarts and Sam’s Club in 2014, so the dollars are there. It’s just we need the retail so those dollars stay here,” said Matas.
According to Walmart, a new store would bring 300 new permanent jobs to the city and 100 temporary jobs for construction.
We talked with Walmart shoppers who drive to the location in Palm Springs.
“I want a Walmart because we won’t have to drive all the way over here and I always shop,” said Laverne Paananen, a DHS resident.
“That would help a lot. It would help with gas money and save time,” said Hyun Noh outside the Palm Springs Walmart.
We talked to quite a few people from DHS and no one told us they didn’t want to have a Walmart built in the city. But over the years, there has been opposition to the development.
There’s an online petition to keep Walmart out, fearing it would take away from local mom-and-pop shops. That online petition has about 465 signatures.
Walmart would need to collect more than 1,900 signatures for its petition to go through.
According to Matas, Walmart should start collecting signatures in the coming weeks at its Palm Springs location.
If Walmart gets enough signatures the company will present the initiative to the City Council and the issue will not have to go to the Planning Commission.
If the City Council doesn’t approve the initiative then the issue gets pushed to November and the people of Desert Hot Springs will vote on it.
