The Acreage, Florida
Encyclopedia
The Acreage is an unincorporated
community located in Palm Beach County
, Florida
, United States
, with a 2010 US Census Bureau population count of 38,704http://www.sfrpc.com/census/PL2010/SFTCPL2010_TheAcreageCDP.pdf. It is located in the areas north of Royal Palm Beach
and Loxahatchee Groves
, and is approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) northwest of West Palm Beach
. Most of the population lives in single family homes on 1.14 acres (4,613.4 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.
, iguanas, and peacocks
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 to their structures.
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.
, Jamaicans, other Caribbean backgrounds, and Vietnamese populations being most notable.
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.
.
.
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed a pediatric brain cancer cluster in a rural community called The Acreage. A
community group has counted 18 children with brain cancer and 3 children with brain cysts since 1996. Some residents have
blamed Pratt & Whitney, the rocket and jet engine company located nearby, which has been responsible for leaks and spills of
chemicals, such as solvents and pesticides on its 7,000 acres for the last 30 years. http://www.nrdc.org/health/diseaseclusters/files/diseaseclusters_issuepaper.pdf
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
community located in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with a 2010 US Census Bureau population count of 38,704http://www.sfrpc.com/census/PL2010/SFTCPL2010_TheAcreageCDP.pdf. It is located in the areas north of Royal Palm Beach
Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Royal Palm Beach is a village in southeast Florida, located in Palm Beach County. The population was measured at 21,523 in the 2000 census. As of April 2008, the recorded population was 31,864...
and Loxahatchee Groves
Loxahatchee, Florida
Loxahatchee is a community located in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located in the areas north of Wellington and west and northwest of Royal Palm Beach, Florida and approximately west of West Palm Beach. Loxahatchee is also the name of the Post Office that serves this area,...
, and is approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) northwest of West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
. Most of the population lives in single family homes on 1.14 acres (4,613.4 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
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
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 acres (4,046.9 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, ibisAmerican White Ibis
The American White Ibis is a species of wading bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It occurs from the mid-Atlantic and Gulf coast of the United States south through most of the New World tropics...
, iguanas, and peacocks
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
and many types of snakes.
Isolated local flooding occurs yearly, leading sometimes to road closures, with Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (1999)
Hurricane Irene was a hurricane that produced somewhat heavy damage across southern Florida during the 1999 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth tropical storm and the sixth hurricane of the season, Irene developed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 13 from a tropical wave. It moved northward,...
being the most memorable to the area. The 2004 Hurricane Season
2004 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004, and lasted until November 30, 2004. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin...
, 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 to their structures.
Geography
It is also surrounded by several nature preserves, and the area blurs the line between RuralRural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
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
Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Royal Palm Beach is a village in southeast Florida, located in Palm Beach County. The population was measured at 21,523 in the 2000 census. As of April 2008, the recorded population was 31,864...
), 33412 (West Palm Beach), 33470 (Loxahatchee
Loxahatchee, Florida
Loxahatchee is a community located in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located in the areas north of Wellington and west and northwest of Royal Palm Beach, Florida and approximately west of West Palm Beach. Loxahatchee is also the name of the Post Office that serves this area,...
), all occurring in barely perceptible regions, resulting in much confusion even amongst the residents of the area.
Demographics
The area is now known for a diverse foreign-born population, with CubansCubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
, Jamaicans, other Caribbean backgrounds, and Vietnamese populations being most notable.
Economy
Commercial businesses, shopping and schools are mostly located on the fringes of the area, notably Northlake Blvd/Coconut Blvd and Orange Blvd/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.- Acreage Community Park
- Bob Hoefl Park
- Citrus Grove Park
- Coconut Park
- Downers Park
- Kidscape Park
- Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park
- Sycamore Park
- Temple Park
Education
The community is served by the School District of Palm Beach CountySchool District of Palm Beach County
The School District of Palm Beach County is the thirteenth largest public school district in the United States, and the fifth largest school district in Florida. The District encompasses all of Palm Beach County. For the 2010-2011 academic year, enrollment totals 171,692 students in Pre-K through...
.
- Seminole Ridge Community High School
- Osceola Creek Middle School
- Western Pines Middle School
- Acreage Pines Elementary School
- Frontier Elementary School
- Golden Grove Elementary School
- Pierce Hammock Elementary School
- Planet Kids - Private School
Media
The area is served by West Palm Beach TV, Radio, the Town-Crier and The Palm Beach PostThe Palm Beach Post
The Palm Beach Post is a major daily newspaper in Florida, serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and the Treasure Coast area. It is the 72nd largest daily newspaper in the United States and the sixth largest in Florida.-History:...
.
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.Possible cancer cluster
A segment on the Doctor Oz Show, originally aired on March 9, 2010, featured the possible cancer cluster in the Acreage.The Florida Department of Health has confirmed a pediatric brain cancer cluster in a rural community called The Acreage. A
community group has counted 18 children with brain cancer and 3 children with brain cysts since 1996. Some residents have
blamed Pratt & Whitney, the rocket and jet engine company located nearby, which has been responsible for leaks and spills of
chemicals, such as solvents and pesticides on its 7,000 acres for the last 30 years. http://www.nrdc.org/health/diseaseclusters/files/diseaseclusters_issuepaper.pdf
Notable natives and residents
- Tiger WoodsTiger WoodsEldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
(Ibis Golf and Country Club) - Jack NicklausJack NicklausJack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
(Bayhill Estates) - Steve SipekSteve SipekSteve Sipek also known as Steve Hawkes was born in Croatia and emigrated to Canada in 1959.He gained recognition by playing Tarzan in a Spanish-made film Tarzán en la gruta del oro/King of the Jungle/Tarzan in the Golden Grotto alongside Kitty Swan, filmed in Suriname, South America, Florida,...
- Tarzan actor, made headlines locally when his tiger Bobo escaped and was later killed in The Acreage.