Geographic Location

The area has a variety of descriptions and boundaries. That is, there are at least 3 different defined areas based on different County and Federal programs. A neighborhood, however, can be defined in terms of common characteristics, trends, and groupings of similar land uses.

For our purposes, we have considered the current boundaries of the Greater Palm River area is to be based on the following landmarks located in unincorporated Hillsborough County, Florida:

• Northern Boundary: Highway 60
• Southern Boundary: 34th Street, and areas south
• Eastern Boundary: Highway 301, and areas east
• Western Boundary: McKay Bay

The core service area of Palm River would be:

• Northern Boundary: The Palm River
• Southern Boundary: 34th Street
• Eastern Boundary: Highway 301
• Western Boundary: Hwy 50

The population of the core area would be about 14,000 persons.

The Greater Palm River Area can best be described as “mixed use” featuring almost all categories of land uses from residential and industrial to agricultural and service. The entire subject area is characterized by easy accessibility to Tampa and Brandon. Major new residential developments have been approved, and industrial expansion is anticipated --both at the expense of agricultural lands.

Additionally, services industries and providers are expected to move into the area, while infrastructure improvements are slowly moving ahead. Although Palm River is strategically located, the area has no major or easily identifiable entrances or boundaries. Therefore, its visibility is limited and its existence often goes unnoticed.

In many ways, the Palm River area is a community in transition as its residents search for ways to use their combined resources to improve their living, economic and social conditions.