The Acreage, Florida

The Acreage, Florida
Coordinates: 26°46′14″N 80°15′17″W / 26.770518°N 80.254626°W / 26.770518; -80.254626Coordinates: 26°46′14″N 80°15′17″W / 26.770518°N 80.254626°W / 26.770518; -80.254626
Country  United States
State  Florida
County  Palm Beach
Population (2010)
 • Total 38,704
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Website www.IndianTrail.com

The Acreage is an unincorporated community located in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States, with a 2010 US Census Bureau population count of 38,704.[1] It is located in the areas north of Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves, and is approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of West Palm Beach. Most of the population lives in single family homes on 1.14 acres (4,600 m2) and larger lots. It straddles the western fringes of the highly developed eastern portion of Palm Beach County and the agricultural/rural western portions. Its large, spacious home site lots, dirt roads and many wooded areas give the area a rural character, although it is widely considered to be an exurban outgrowth of the South Florida Metropolitan Area. The Acreage is located solely within the Indian Trail Improvement District, responsible for maintaining the road and drainage systems within its boundaries.

History

The Acreage was originally developed by Samuel Friedland and his development company, Royal Palm Beach Colony, Inc., with the name of Royal Palm Beach Colony, as a community to house workers that were employed by the nearby Callery Judge and Mecca Citrus Groves. Workers were given 1-acre (4,000 m2) lots, and coupled with few land restrictions, the area is a haven for those desiring rural life without being too far from the city and for animals, both native and exotic, including alpacas, ibises, iguanas, peafowl and many types of snakes.

Isolated local flooding occurs yearly, leading sometimes to road closures, with Hurricane Irene being the most memorable to the area. The 2004 hurricane season, in which two Category 2 hurricanes struck the area in a three-week period, did considerable damage to the older wooden cottage style houses while the modern houses in the area received mostly cosmetic damage.

Demographics

It is also surrounded by several nature preserves, and the area blurs the line between rural and suburban. Rapid development of the area has caused a recent push for incorporation and is now notably more built up than nearby Loxahatchee Groves, which has recently incorporated.

The Acreage zipcodes are 33411 (Royal Palm Beach), 33412 (West Palm Beach), 33470 (Loxahatchee), all occurring in barely perceptible regions, resulting in much confusion even amongst the residents of the area. The area is now known for its diverse foreign-born population, with English, Caribbean, and Vietnamese populations being most notable.

Economy

Commercial businesses, shopping and schools are mostly located on the fringes of the area, notably Northlake Boulevard/Coconut Boulevard and Orange Boulevard/Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, while the center of area is mostly residential with a few garden nurseries on the major streets.

A proposed post office is expected to open up in the 33412 area of the town along with a pharmacy, supermarket food chains, doctor's offices, and bank chains. Four country clubs are now included in the 33412 area of The Acreage including the exclusive Ibis Country Club where house prices can exceed $3 million. Land taxes and insurance prices are among the highest in Palm Beach County, far surpassing those of anywhere else in the western communities.

Parks and recreation

The community features nine parks. The Acreage Athletic League is the area's youth sports provider.

Education

The community is served by the School District of Palm Beach County.

Media

The area is served by West Palm Beach WPTV-TV, Radio, the Town-Crier and The Palm Beach Post.

Infrastructure

Transportation

There are a few major paved roads in the community, with the vast majority of the roads unpaved, partly due to the Equestrian presence in the area. Local residents have been deadlocked for years on creating additional roadway access to the area to relieve heavy traffic on the existing roadway network, as many residents want to maintain the peace and quiet in this rural area. The ongoing State Road 7 road extension is one such example, as until recently, construction was delayed as many residents and environmental groups wanted to protect the local wildlife, but it has eased traffic coming in and out of the area.

Utilities

The area is not served by sewer and water systems and almost all homes are served by on-site well and septic systems. On site ponds, large drainage swales, numerous canals, and houses on elevated land pads help alleviate flooding in this flat, low lying inland area.

Health care

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Acreage CDP" (PDF). South Florida Regional Planning Council. Retrieved 2016-10-31.
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