July 7 Daily Briefing: Next step for In-N-Out, city offers recovery funds, floating rocks art, and more

Welcome to Monday and the dog days of summer. In the US, the hottest and muggiest part of the season started on July 3 this year and runs until Aug. 11. Locally, we typically receive the muggy weather in mid-August, so the timing doesn’t exactly align. However, the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the “dog days” to be a time of misfortune plagued by drought and unrest as animals and people alike were driven mad by the unbearably hot temperatures. So, we can definitely relate as the temperatures climb past 110 this week.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine (Live)

LEADING OFF

In-N-Out Burger proposal heading to Planning Commission

The Palm Springs Planning Commission will consider a proposal Tuesday for a new In-N-Out Burger restaurant at 1801 East Palm Canyon Drive. The California-based chain wants to build on a former Bank of America site near Smoke Tree Lane.

Driving the news: The 3,886-square-foot restaurant would include drive-thru service, 82 parking spaces and outdoor dining areas on the 2.35-acre property.

• Plans call for a freestanding drive-thru order canopy and removal of an existing frontage road, which would be replaced with a landscaped pedestrian walkway.

Environmental impact: City review determined the project qualifies as infill development and is exempt from full analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act.

The conditions: Approval would require several modifications, including widening Smoke Tree Lane and installing a 12-foot sidewalk with landscaping to replace the frontage road.

• The main driveway would be redesigned to 80 feet wide with restrictions on left turns for traffic safety.
• Additional requirements include screening landscaping to block drive-thru headlights, architectural review of the order canopy, and compliance with dark-sky lighting standards.

The hurdle: The project requires a special modification because the building would sit 102 feet from East Palm Canyon Drive, which is 23 feet closer than normally permitted under zoning requirements.

Traffic analysis: A study concluded the restaurant would not create significant impacts at nearby intersections despite the new development.

Dive deeper with our complete story

BRIEFLY

📚 Library hosting goodbye party before renovation closure

Palm Springs Public Library will host an elaborate goodbye party on July 19 as the Sunrise Park location prepares to close temporarily for renovations after 50 years of operation. The event will mark both the end of the 2025 Summer Reading “Level Up @ Your Library” program and the temporary closure of the facility.

• Grand prizes from the Friends of the Palm Springs Library include a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, $100 Amazon gift card, gaming bundles, and a pickleball lesson with Police Chief Andy Mills.
  
• The Summer Reading finale runs from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m., followed by the Renovation Celebration and Closing Party from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., featuring face painting, custom poems, time capsule opening, and ice cream.
  
• Looking ahead: Library operations will close between July 20 and 31 to relocate to a temporary space at Rimrock Plaza on East Palm Canyon Drive, opening that location in early August. The free event welcomes current and former patrons, employees, board members, and city officials.

💰 City launches $50,000 recovery fund for businesses impacted by attack

City officials launched the Palm Springs Recovery Fund last week to help business owners impacted by the May 17 terrorist attack with rebuilding and financial recovery. The City Council allocated $50,000 to the initiative to assist local businesses with reopening and recovery efforts.

• The fund covers expenses not reimbursed by insurance or other community recovery programs, including repairs to damaged windows, doors, framing, roofs, cosmetic damage, and capital losses.
  
• All businesses located within the Disaster Overlay Zone are eligible to apply, subject to available funding. Affected businesses may also benefit from reduced permitting fees and other support services offered by the city.
  
• Details: Business owners can begin the application process by visiting engagepalmsprings.com by contacting business.info@palmspringsca.gov.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Mahjong Monday
1 p.m. | Social Cafe & Play Lounge
Play the American version of Mahjong with others. Play Lounge has two mats and sets, but feel free to bring your own. 

Architectural Review Committee
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
The ARC meets to review and make recommendations on building and landscape design to the Planning Commission, City Council and City staff. Find the agenda here.

Healthy Boundaries Support Group 
6 p.m. | The Center 
This group is designed to help the general public understand how to take care of self while implementing and keeping boundaries that might be needed in their lives.

Fabulous Bingo with Bella da Ball
7 p.m. | King’s Highway
Monday Night BINGO is back at King’s Highway. We have the beautiful and lovely Bella da Ball hosting, calling numbers, quizzing, and giving away prizes. ($35)

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Falsettos begins at Palm Canyon Theatre on Friday
  
• Your Extraordinary Mind on Saturday at the Cultural Center
  
• PSUSD classified job fair on July 16 at the school district office
  
• ALL OUT, a summer dance party put on by The LGBTQ+ Center of the Desert on July 19

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like if boulders decided to defy gravity in downtown Palm Springs, the Royal Sun Hotel might have the answer. The hotel is seeking $6,500 in city reimbursement for a public art installation featuring floating rocks that will grace the property at 1700 Palm Canyon Drive.

Driving the news: The Public Arts Commission reviewed the reimbursement request last week for the artwork titled “LowDes Ranch Rocks” created by a Colorado artist.

• The installation uses hidden support structures to create the illusion that large stone formations are floating in front of the hotel.

The artist: Frank and Hank, who a hotel representative described as having a dual personality, draws inspiration from Western landscapes and childhood experiences, combining stone with metal elements to capture what hotel representatives called “the essence of Palm Springs.”

The details: The hotel completed $20,000 in improvements and paid city commercial art fees, making it eligible for partial reimbursement under city policy. The installation will include dedicated lighting and a commemorative plaque.

What’s next: The commission requested additional details including a nighttime lighting plan and precise location specifications before voting on the reimbursement. The hotel expects to complete the project by mid-August.school students in grades 9 through 12, register here, middle school registers here, and elementary school here.