On the dusty streets of Pioneertown, residents are preparing for a showdown.
Built in the 1940s as a shooting location for Western films and TV shows, the remote town near California’s Joshua Tree National Park has evolved with its own unique character and tourist appeal.
But after county officials adopted a new roadmap for standardized zoning rules, residents of Pioneertown fear the town’s rustic ‘Mane Street’ could be overrun with corporate chains such as Starbucks and Dollar General.
In response, they’ve launched a petition calling for the county to adopt special rules that would protect the town’s Old West charm and character.
‘We love Pioneertown the way it is,’ said resident Ben Loescher, an architect who is spearheading the petition. ‘We want to preserve the historic buildings, the hoof-and-foot nature of Mane Street, the dirt roads and dark skies.’
Built in the 1940s as a shooting location for Western films and TV shows, Pioneertown has evolved with its own unique character and tourist appeal
Pioneertown draws A-list visitors, including Keanu Reeves, but locals fear that changes to zoning rules could leave the town overrun by corporate chains
‘The draft version of the zoning that [the county] suggested for Mane Street was a very generic commercial zone, pretty permissive, that would allow anything from gas stations to dollar stores to RV sales lots,’ he told DailyMail.com in a phone interview.
‘There’s no way any of that can happen here without messing the whole thing up,’ added Loescher.
The petition has already garnered more than 2,300 signatures — more than five times the tiny town’s population of a few hundred.
‘Although Pioneertown’s Mane Street was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020, the County has yet to recognize this unique collection of historic buildings and small businesses as in any way different,’ the petition states.
‘Pioneertown residents and property owners desire slow, sustainable growth for Mane Street that preserves our neighborhood character,’ the petition adds.
Located in the High Desert region of San Bernardino County, Pioneertown was founded in 1946 by actors Dick Curtis, Roy Rogers and Russell Hayden as a set for Western films.
Gene Autrey filmed all five seasons of his eponymous cowboy show in the town, and The Cisco Kid series also filmed there.
From the beginning though, the town’s buildings were real, and not flimsy sets, as the founders envisioned it as a tourist attraction that would lure visitors from Los Angeles, about 125 miles away.
Pioneertown had a functional bowling alley, ice cream parlor, and motels and restaurants to cater to visitors.
But in the 1960s, as Hollywood’s Wild West craze began to fade, filming all but halted in the town, and dreams of turning it into a major tourist destination faded.
Instead, a few hundred hardy residents put down permanent roots, perhaps seeking an escape from the stresses and worries of modern life.
Gene Autrey filmed all five seasons of his eponymous cowboy show in the town. Above, Autry chases an outlaw gang on a horse in the episode The Lost Chance
The Cisco Kid starring Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carrillo also filmed in Pioneertown
Today it draws droves of tourists and visitors who come to snap selfies on Mane Street or catch a show at Pappy and Harriet’s (above), a renowned music venue and barbecue joint
After county officials adopted a new standardized zoning plan roadmap, residents of Pioneertown fear the town’s rustic ‘Mane Street’ could be overrun with strip malls
Pioneertown residents have launched a petition calling for the county to adopt special rules that would protect the town’s Old West charm and character
Paul McCartney is seen performing at Pappy and Harriet’s, a Pioneertown institution
‘Pioneertown is a fake town, that was created to tell fake stories,’ said Loescher. ‘But it has turned into a real community with real people in it. And it’s important to so many different people, for so many different reasons.’
On a typical Friday night, Loescher said that Mane Street often draws a mix of locals and tourists, families with children, outlaw bikers, retirees riding on horseback, and Old West reenactor groups.
‘I don’t know a lot of places like that,’ he said.
Some filming has continued over the years. In the 1970s, Paul Newman filmed his Western movie The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean in Pioneertown, and Aubrey Plaza used the town for Ingrid Goes West in 2017.
But in a rare insult, the new Apple TV+ show High Desert, which is partially set in Pioneertown, was actually filmed at Sable Ranch in Santa Clarita, according to the Desert Sun.
Over time, Pioneertown’s most valuable asset has become its rustic character and time-warping appeal.
Today it draws droves of tourists and visitors who come to snap selfies on Mane Street or catch a show at Pappy and Harriet’s, a renowned music venue and barbecue joint.
‘We’re not against development at all,’ said Lisa Elin, who owns Pappy and Harriet’s with her husband JB.
‘We’re just for a very thoughtful, careful development that preserves the town’s historic nature. I don’t think anybody up here wants an Outback Steakhouse, or Starbucks, or Dollar General,’ she told DailyMail.com.
‘It’s so special for what it is, there are so few places left like this on Earth. It feels really, really important to protect that. We have enough development everywhere else,’ she added.
Music performances draw thousands of visitors to the town — but locals fear that corporate chains seeking to cash in on Pioneertown’s popularity could ruin its unique character
Located in the High Desert region of San Bernardino County, Pioneertown was founded in 1946 by actors Dick Curtis, Roy Rogers and Russell Hayden as a set for Western films
Some filming has continued over the years. In the 1970s, Paul Newman filmed his Western The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean in Pioneertown, and Aubrey Plaza used the town for Ingrid Goes West in 2017
Over time, Pioneertown’s most valuable asset has become its rustic character and time-warping appeal
In 2020, the town’s Mane Street was added as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places
But according to Loescher, that might not prevent county officials from adopting new zoning regulations for the town under a 2020 plan to standardize zoning rules across the country
In 2020, the town’s Mane Street was added as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
But according to Loescher, that might not prevent county officials from adopting new zoning regulations for the town under a 2020 plan to standardize zoning rules across the country.
‘San Bernardino County will likely approve generic commercial zoning for Mane Street which will not include any historic provisions, guidelines on style, preservation of dirt roads, or limits on the size of large events and festivals,’ he wrote on a website proposing special zoning rules.
‘Planning Staff has indicated that the zoning for Mane Street would likely become either CN (Neighborhood Commercial) or CR (Rural Commercial), both of which allow gas stations, mini-malls, and grid-scale solar generation facilities,’ added Loescher.
Drawing on community input and feedback, Loescher, a professional architect, has proposed a special set of rules for Mane Street to preserve the area’s historic character, dubbed the Mane Street Overlay.
According to spokesperson for the county, public hearings on Pioneertown’s zoning decision are expected to take place this fall, though no date has yet been set.
‘The County’s goal is to launch hearings this fall on both the rezoning that would affect Pioneertown and the Mane Street overlay, first before the County Planning Commission, and then the Board of Supervisors,’ the spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
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