Pine Hills, Florida

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Donniewan75 (talk | contribs) at 13:42, 29 June 2010 (it is well known in PH - "Choppa City"= police helicopters. If you're going to add a "machine gun" reference, please cite your source.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other places with the same name, see Pine Hills (disambiguation).
Pine Hills-Orlando, Florida
CDP
Nickname(s): 
Crime hills, The Hillz, Westside
Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
Location in Orange County and the state of Florida
Country United States
State Florida
County Orange
IncorporatedUnincorporated
Government
 • TypeMayor-Commissioner Plan
 • County MayorRichard T. Crotty
 • County CommissionerS. Scott Boyd
Area
 • Total8 sq mi (20.5 km2)
 • Land8 sq mi (8 km2)
 • Water0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation
115 ft (35 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total41,764
 • Density5,436.7/sq mi (2,099.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
32808, 32818, 32810
Area code407
FIPS code12-56825Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0288851Template:GR

Pine Hills is a census-designated place and a neighborhood of Orlando in an unincorporated area of Orange County, Florida, United States . It is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan statistical area. The population was 41,764 at the 2000 census. In 2007, the population was estimated to be 49,222.[1] The boundaries of Pine Hills are Apopka-Vineland Road to the west, the city limits of Orlando to the east, Clarcona-Ocoee Road to the north, and State Road 408 to the south.

History

The area that would become Pine Hills began in 1953 with the first subdivisions – Robinswood and Pine Ridge Estates – constructed along the newly completed Pine Hills Road north of Colonial Drive (SR 50). It was one of the first suburbs of Orlando and grew as a bedroom community for the blue-collar workers of Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin). At the time, it was an upper-middle class suburb with a country club named "Silver Pines".

During the 1960's and into the 1970's, Pine Hills grew north from the original subdivisions around Pine Hills Rd and Colonial Drive to include new neighborhoods off of Silver Star Rd in the north and to the east around Pine Hills and Indian Hill Roads. The community built their own fire department, a Post Office branch, and schools. In the 1970's, the Orange County government seized Pine Hills' fire engine in an effort to consolidate county-wide fire services. Nevertheless, Pine Hills continued to grow and community leaders began an initiative to incorporate Pine Hills into a city. However, this initiative was eventually abandoned.

During the 1980s, the City of Orlando began annexing sections of Pine Hills. Some areas annexed during this time include North Lane east of Pine Hills Road (where the "Rosemont" neighborhood would eventually be located), Clarion Drive south of Clarcona-Ocoee Road, and areas of the Signal Hill subdivision (south of Rosemont). Residents rejected further annexation, fearing larger taxes and little representation from Orlando. Eventually, as Orlando's growth absorbed Pine Hills, many of the original families moved into newer neighborhoods in nearby Ocoee, Winter Garden and MetroWest.

In the 1990s, Pine Hills fell into a state of decline. "Silver Pines Country Club" was closed and apartment complexes were built on the property. The Pine Hills Shopping Center lost its long-time tenants and was eventually converted into a strip-mall with discount stores named "The Pine Hills Marketplace". Much of the housing became low rent and government subsidized, resulting in higher crime and little representation from Orange County Commissioners; a continuing trend to this day. Many property owners now embrace the idea of Orlando annexing the remainder of Pine Hills. They argue that the potential benefits are better police protection and city beautification services. However, given the area's bad reputation, future annexation by the City of Orlando appears unlikely.

As of 2010, Pine Hills is perceived to be a high-crime area despite community-wide initiatives to solve the problem. Many schools and churches offer after-school programs and to some extent, free daycare. The Orlando Police Department has collaborated with the Orange County Sheriff's Office to prevent crime by increasing patrols through the neighborhoods. The government of Orange County is also increasing code enforcement and issuing citations to property owners who neglect to maintain their home's appearance.

On a positive note, future development in Pine Hills includes the re-construction of Maynard Evans High School's main campus on Silver Star Rd. When completed in 2012, it is expected the immediate area's appearance will improve. Recent expansion and upgrades were completed on Meadowbrook and Robinswood Middle School's. Pine Hills and Mollie E. Ray Elementary schools were also remodeled and equipped with improved technological resources. Additional development includes Orlando's newest "Chinatown", located along west Colonial Drive across from the Pine Hills Marketplace. West Colonial Drive, one of the main highways in Pine Hills, is currently undergoing reconstruction and promises to bring better traffic management and improved landscaping to Pine Hills. Other traffic improvement initiatives in Pine Hills include repaving and redesign of the intersection of Pine Hills and Silver Star Roads and expansion of Pine Hills Rd south to LB Macleod Rd.[2]

"Crime Hills"

Orlando locals have labeled Pine Hills with the degrading nickname Crime Hills. Pine Hills is situated in the vicinity of higher crime areas, such as "Carver Shores" to the south and "Mercy Drive" to the east (which the local media falsely reports as being located in Pine Hills). These areas have long possessed high crime that eventually spills into Pine Hills. As a result, statistics show Pine Hills being one of Orlando's high-crime areas [3]. In addition to "Crime Hills", other local nicknames for the area are "Choppa City" (due to police helicopters patrolling over the area), "The Hills" (or "Da Hillz"), and to a limited extent, "Westside".

Neighborhood Revitalization

The most recent effort to revitalize Pine Hills began with the creation of the "Pine Hills Safe Neighborhood Partnership". It is a group of neighborhood residents who collaborate with Orange County Government and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to keep the area safe. The group is a 501c3 non-profit organization and has received grant funding from private and public resources. The grants fund a variety of projects designed to deter crime and enhance resident safety. Some initiatives include hiring off-duty law enforcement officers to make extra patrols, offering summer youth programs to keep youth engaged, and helping neighborhoods make infrastructure improvements to traffic patterns, community lighting and more. Regular community meetings are held at the Pine Hills Community Center.

In 2004, the group commissioned "The Pine Hills Land Analysis and Strategic Plan"; which outlined a vision for revitalization and economic growth supported by residents. Since this study was released, the neighborhood has continued to focus on revitalization initiatives by holding community forums, establishing partnerships with private developers and public agencies. It also engages property owners and renters in protecting the area's quality of life. As a result of the community partnerships and focus on crime prevention, the sheriff's office has reported downward crime trends in this area. Additionally, in October of 2009, Mayor Richard Crotty established the Pine Hills Business Redevelopment Task Force. This 13-member advisory committee was created to assist with economic revitalization of the area.[4]

Diversity

Pine Hills is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Orlando and is a minority majority community. The populations of African-Americans and Hispanics is reported being significantly above the state of Florida's average.[5]. In addition, the foreign-born population is also above the state average. There are large Caribbean populations of Haitians, Jamaicans, and Puerto Ricans. There is also a large Asian population of Vietnamese, Koreans, and Cambodians. This diversity is evident along Pine Hills Road where many immigration offices, Caribbean & Asian restaurants, and West Indian grocery stores abound.

While locals perceive Pine Hills to be a lower class community, several areas exist where the median family income exceeds the area average. Subdivisions with expensive single-family homes are found in Rosemont. Expensive homes are also located along north Hiawassee Rd, off of Balboa Dr near Good Homes Rd in the "Rose Hill" subdivision, and along north Powers Dr. A replica of the Graceland Mansion is located off of North Hiawassee Rd.

Geography

Pine Hills is located at 28°34′30″N 81°27′26″W / 28.57500°N 81.45722°W / 28.57500; -81.45722Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (28.574876, -81.457267).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 20.5 km² (7.9 mi²). 19.9 km² (7.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (3.03%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, there were 42,055 people, 13,368 households, and 9,689 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 5,256.9/mi². There were 14,656 housing units at an average density of 1,832/mi². The racial makeup of the CDP was 63.3% African American, 18.4% White, 15.4% Hispanic or Latino, 3.6% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races.

There were 13,368 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.5% were married couples living together, 28.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.53.

In the CDP, the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $37,790 and the median income for a family was $41,063. Males had a median income of $29,676 versus $27,435 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,137. About 12.5% of families and 14.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.4% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

Population history (from the U.S. Census Bureau)

  • 1970 – 13,882
  • 1980 – 35,771
  • 1990 – 35,322
  • 2000 – 41,764

Economy

The primary industry in Pine Hills is retail. Major companies with a presence in Pine Hills are Target, The Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's Club, Darden Restaurants, CVS/pharmacy, and Winn-Dixie.

The industrial sector is located along east Silver Star Road in Orlando's city limits and includes a Frito-Lay manufacturing & distribution facility.

Due to its central location, Pine Hills is close to Orlando's business and tourism centers. Many residents commute to downtown Orlando, less than 5 miles (8.0 km) east, the northern suburb of Maitland, or to the International Drive, Universal Orlando Resort, and Walt Disney World Resort tourist districts.

Education

Main article: Orange County Public Schools

Elementary Schools

  • Hiawassee Elementary
  • Lake Gem Elementary
  • Mollie E. Ray Elementary
  • Pine Hills Elementary
  • Rolling Hills Elementary
  • Ridgewood Park Elementary

Middle Schools

  • Meadowbrook Middle School
  • Robinswood Middle School

High Schools

Colleges

There are several private schools in Pine Hills offering Pre K-Grade 12 curriculum.

Parks & Recreation

Public parks in Pine Hills are serviced by Orange County Parks and Recreation. Admission is free to all parks. There are four parks in Pine Hills:

  • Barnett Park - The signature park of Pine Hills and also the largest. Home to Lawne Lake, a professional BMX track, biking & nature trails, football fields, ball fields, dog parks, and event pavilions.[6]
  • Rolling Hills Park - Located on north Pine Hills Rd, this park has several ball fields and playgrounds.
  • Signal Hill Park - Located near Rolling Hills Elementary School.
  • Willows Park - Located in Orlando city limits

Infrastructure

Transportation

Arterial Highways

Secondary Roads

  • Pine Hills Road - North to south
  • Hiawassee Road - another North to South road paralleling Pine Hills road.
  • Clarcona-Ocoee Road - northern border of Pine Hills and another east-west connector to Orange Blossom Trail.

Tertiary Roads

  • Hastings Street
  • Balboa Drive
  • Powers Drive
  • North Lane

Mass transit

LYNX is the public bus transportation system serving Greater Orlando; it has many stops throughout Pine Hills.

Notable natives and residents

Hip-Hop

Given the area's large African-American population, Pine Hills is the nexus of Orlando's underground hip-hop scene. Artists Smilez and Southstar, Wes Fif, and Jon Young are from Pine Hills. While the music produced from Pine Hills artists is primarily Gangsta Rap, it is an accurate representation of life inside some of Pine Hills' worst areas.[7]

Notes and references

  1. ^ http://www.city-data.com/city/Pine-Hills-Florida.html
  2. ^ http://www.orangecountyfl.net/cms/DEPT/pw/transplan/projects/default.htm
  3. ^ http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/orl-homicidemap-main,0,1692675.htmlpage
  4. ^ http://www.orangecountyfl.net/YourLocalGovernment/CountyDepartments/CommunityandEnvironmentalServices/NeighborhoodServicesDivision/PineHillsBusinessRedevelopmentTaskForce.aspx
  5. ^ http://www.city-data.com/city/Pine-Hills-Florida.html
  6. ^ http://www.orangecountyfl.net/dept/cesrvcs/parks/?REDID={14B2793A-4152-4B98-BD73-909DEF1AED4E}
  7. ^ http://www.orlandoweekly.com/music/story.asp?id=12625

External links

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