Palm Harbor, Florida

Culture

The historic downtown district of Palm Harbor, at Florida Avenue and Alt. US 19 and CR 1, has numerous festivals and craft fairs. Old Palm Harbor Main Streets, Inc., a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, hosts their signature event the first Friday of every month. "Palm Harbor's First Friday Celebrations" -- are a very popular community event for youngsters and adults alike. There are rides and games for the children, with opportunities to dine on food from the many local restaurants, enjoy local artists & crafters displaying and selling their wares. Annually, the first Sunday in October marks when the "Taste of Palm Harbor" festival is held. The event is presented by the Palm Harbor Junior Women's Club with the proceeds benefiting their "Making a Difference" grants & scholarships program. The Taste of Palm Harbor traditionally offers live music and the tasting of samples from over 20 local restaurants, many of which make seafood their specialty.

Government

HB 183 - Town of Palm Harbor/Pinellas County, which was the most recent local bill that would have scheduled a referendum allowing Palm Harbor voters the opportunity to decide if they want to incorporate, died in Military & Local Affairs Policy Committee on Saturday, May 02, 2009 12:00 AM.

Pinellas County legislators voted Thursday January 22, 2009 to support a bill allowing voters in Palm Harbor to decide if they want their unincorporated community to become the county's 25th city. It passed over the objections of Pinellas County Commissioner Susan Latvala, who said she was appearing in both her official capacity and as a Palm Harbor resident. The bill does not automatically make Palm Harbor a city if it is passed. It only requires that voters be allowed their say. If passed by the full Legislature, the measure would put question of cityhood on the 2010 general election ballot. The Legislature must first conduct a feasibility study to make sure cityhood makes fiscal sense. Staff Analysis: Military & Local Affairs Policy Committee 3/23/2009 7:03:38 PM

On January 20, 2009 during a Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners meeting - Commissioner Latvala indicated that the ordinance to incorporate Palm Harbor, on the County’s Legislative Delegation Committee’s agenda for this week, states that the BCC will pay for the referendum. Following discussion, Commissioner Latvala confirmed that it is the consensus of the Board that its position is that it will not pay for the referendum, and no objections were noted.

On January 15, 2009 Chris Latvala, son of Commissioner Susan Latvala requested the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections provide him a cost estimate for conducting a "regular" special referendum election on November 3, 2009, based on the boundary lines provided in House Bill 183. Chris Latvala also requested that he be provided a cost estimate of conducting an all mail ballot election.

HB 1359 - Pinellas County was referred to the Government Efficiency & Accountability Council and went to the Committee on Urban & Local Affairs who performed a staff analysis of the Palm Harbor Incorporation Feasibility Study and the Town Charter. This bill died in the committee on Urban & Local Affairs on May 2, 2008.

The Greater Palm Harbor Community Coalition initiated a study on whether it was feasible for the community to become a town in which it found it was. On January 3, 2008, the Pinellas County legislative delegation voted on the local bill providing for a community wide referendum. The local bill (Town Charter) passed and it was filed with the Florida Legislature.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 68.9 km² (26.6 mi²). 46.4 km² (17.9 mi²) of it is land and 22.5 km² (8.7 mi²) of it (32.61%) is water.

History

Palm Harbor was originally called Sutherland, a shortening of Southern Land and Development Company, the group that originally platted the community as Sutherland, Hillsborough County in 1888. The name was changed to Palm Harbor in 1925. Palm Harbor was originally settled by J.C. Craver. According to Craver's diary, still in the family, he came here in the winter of 1877 upon the advice of his physician. A post office commission under the name of Bay St. Joseph was granted in 1878, this being the earliest written record of the community. The name Bay St. Joseph was used only a short time before Yellow Bluff replaced it. But that name proved relatively short-lived, as a few years later its negative connotation with the yellow fever epidemic gave way to its present name. Palm Harbor was originally called Sutherland after a post office was granted in 1888, the same year the railroad came through. Sutherland boasted two beautiful hotels, the larger one becoming Southern College in 1902. It sat high on the bluff overlooking Sutherland Bayou and the Gulf of Mexico. Sutherland was thought to be named after Duke of Sutherland, who visited these parts after landing at Tarpon Springs in 1887. Local pioneers dismiss this coincidence, pointing out that the name Sutherland is a shortening of Southern Land and Development Company, the group which originally platted the community in 1888. Areas pioneers included the Whitehursts, the Hollands, the Tinneys, the Suttons, the Thompsons, the Rivieres, the Bensons, the Roberts, the Aldermans and the Wilsons. Palm Harbor also has a unique "hilly" geography which is uncommon in the relatively flat Florida.

Demographics

There were 25,461 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 23.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 88.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,404, and the median income for a family was $52,925. Males had a median income of $41,003 versus $29,287 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,470. About 4.3% of families and 5.5% of the population were considered below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

See also

References

External links

Special Taxing Districts

Local Community Links

Category:Unincorporated communities in Pinellas County, Florida Category:Census-designated places in Pinellas County, Florida