Pine Hills, Florida

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 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 1960s and into the 1970s, 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 around Powers Dr and to the east around Pine Hills and Indian Hill Roads. The community built their own fire department, a post office branch, and several schools. In the 1970s, 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 surrounded Pine Hills, many of the original families moved into newer neighborhoods in nearby Ocoee, Winter Garden and MetroWest.

Into the late 1980s and during the 1990s, Pine Hills fell into a state of decline. Silver Pines Country Club was closed, and apartment complexes were built on the property in the mid 1990s. The "Pine Hills Shopping Center" lost its long-time tenants and was eventually converted in the late 1990s into "Pine Hills Marketplace", a strip mall with discount stores. Much of the housing became low rent and government subsidized. Neglect from Orange County government and little representation from Orange County Commissioners resulted in higher crime. 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 local reputation, future annexation by the City of Orlando appears unlikely.

As of 2013, 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, redevelopment in Pine Hills included the reconstruction of Maynard Evans High School's main campus on Silver Star Road; completed in 2012. Reconstruction with the latest technology was also completed on Meadowbrook Middle, Robinswood Middle, Pine Hills, and Mollie E. Ray Elementary Schools. 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, was redesigned and construction completed in 2011; bringing better traffic management and improved landscaping to Pine Hills. Other traffic improvement initiatives in Pine Hills included repaving and redesign of the intersection of Pine Hills and Silver Star Roads. Future initiatives include expansion of Pine Hills Road south to LB Mcleod Road.

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 Pine Hills Community Council, Inc. 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 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.

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. 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 and 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 off Balboa Drive near Good Homes Road in the Rose Hill subdivision, and along north Powers Drive. A replica of the Graceland Mansion is located off North Hiawassee Road.

Geography

Pine Hills is located at 28°34′30″N 81°27′26″W (28.574876, -81.457267).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.7 square miles (33.0 km²), of which 12.2 square miles (31.7 km²) is land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km²) (3.87%) is water.

Demographics

As of 2010, there were 22,812 households out of which 14.8% were vacant. As of 2000, 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 2000, the CDP 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.

In 2000, 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.

Languages

As of 2000, English spoken as a first language accounted for 73.00% of all residents, while 26.99% spoke other languages as their mother tongue. The most significant were Spanish speakers who made up 12.45% of the population, while Haitian Creole came up as the third most spoken language, which made up 10.76%, French was at fourth, at 1.76%, and Vietnamese was spoken by 1.44% of the population.

Economy

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

The industrial sector is located along east Silver Star Road in Orlando's city limits and includes a Frito-Lay manufacturing and 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, to the northern suburb of Maitland, or to the International Drive, Universal Orlando Resort, and Walt Disney World Resort tourist districts.

Elementary schools

-UCP Pine Hills Charter School

Middle schools

High schools

Private school

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

Colleges

Parks and recreation

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

Arterial highways

Secondary roads

Tertiary roads

Mass transit

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

Notable people

Hip hop

Given the area's large African-American population, Pine Hills is the nexus of Orlando's underground hip hop music 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. The hip hop produced in Pine Hills has led to the area being known by the local colloquialism as "Crime Hills". However, this name has earlier origins. It first developed in the late 1980s from local law enforcement, local media predominately reporting crime in the area, and locals using the name when referring to Pine Hills.