Royal Palm Beach is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in southeast Florida, located within
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County is a county located in the southeastern part of Florida and lies directly north of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. The county had a population of 1,492,191 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous county ...
. The population was measured at 34,140 in the 2010 census. It is part of the
Miami Metropolitan Area
The Miami metropolitan area (also known as Greater Miami, the Tri-County Area, South Florida, or the Gold Coast) is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the 34th largest metropolitan area in the world with a ...
. Despite its name, the village is located approximately fifteen miles
inland
Inland may refer to:
Places Sweden
* Inland Fräkne Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden
* Inland Northern Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden
* Inland Southern Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden
* Inland Torpe Hundred, a hundred ...
from the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
Royal Palm Beach is known for its many parks and general mission to protect
green space, as evidenced by the recent acquisition of to create a master central park and the development of preserved into a passive bird watching and nature park. The village offers a variety of activities for the outdoor and sports enthusiast including soccer, basketball, tennis,
Pop Warner
Glenn Scobey Warner (April 5, 1871 – September 7, 1954), most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American college football coach at various institutions who is responsible for several key aspects of the modern game. Included among his inn ...
youth football and cheerleading, senior activities, and year-round golf programs. The public schools within the Village consist of "A"-rated elementary and middle schools and there are numerous private schools offering classes from pre-kindergarten through high school.
History
Incorporated on June 18, 1959, Royal Palm Beach has grown from a primarily uninhabited swamp and natural preserve and former
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...
hunting ground into a thriving village of an estimated 40,000 residents.
It was not until the 1950s, when Philadelphia supermarket magnates Sam and Hattie Friedland purchased for approximately $1.25 million in what is now the Royal Palm Beach village and Acreage areas, that the natural wilderness landed on national fastest growing community lists (in its size category) in the 1980s. The Friedlands subsequently sold their land to Miami developer Arthur Desser, founder of Lefcourt Realty Group. About were earmarked for Desser's Royal Palm Beach development.
It was Desser's vision that spurred the initial development of the Village of Royal Palm Beach. A massive drainage project ensued and in 1959, the state legislature granted a charter which named the development Royal Palm Beach.
According to a former Lefcourt engineer now living in Wellington, Desser wanted the name "Palm Beach" to be included in the new community's name, so it was decided that since Desser also liked the stately royal palms of Palm Beach, he would dub his development "Royal Palm Beach."
On June 30, 1959, with Seminole tribe officials on hand for the festivities (and to renounce all former claims to the land), a groundbreaking ceremony was held. Engineering began for the village's myriad waterways and a basic system of roads. A sales/recreational center was built with a motel facility in the area now occupied by the Royal Inn and two bedroom, one-bath model homes were erected starting at $8,250.
Village government—initially in the form of a developer-appointed council—later became popularly elected in 1964. Not until 1977 did the Village Council find a permanent home in the present Village Hall complex. To date, there have been 15 mayors who have served the village—some as single-term and part-term mayors—others, like Sam Lamstein (1982–1990), formal County Commissioner Tony Masilotti (1992–1998), and current Mayor David Lodwick (since 1998) have won voter approval for multi-terms.
Arthur Desser's dream of a "nouveau" Palm Beach were short-lived, however, with the bankruptcy of Lefcourt in 1961. His interest was bought out by Friedland who then established Royal Palm Beach Colony Inc. to continue village development. A grocery store magnate with no experience in the housing market, Friedland nonetheless was a savvy businessman who put together a team of professionals who set up a comprehensive land sales/development/building enterprise. With the late Herbert Kaplan as RPB Colony CEO, the company and the town grew slowly from 1960-67 — first in the original "Colony" section of floral-named streets east and west of the southern end of Royal Palm Beach Blvd., and then expanded with vigor into the Willows and LaMancha subdivisions (east of RPB Blvd.).
A marketing push began in 1979 to offer to builders tracts of land. With this growth phase the Village ballooned over the next 15 years. In 1983, Crestwood Middle School opened as the first community school followed in 1985 and 1989, respectively, by H.L. Johnson and Cypress Trails Elementary schools. Royal Palm Beach High School opened its doors to 1,100 students in 1997. Schools in the western communities continue to open in rapid succession — often with student bodies at or near capacity the first year. The 2002–2003 school year included the opening of the village's third elementary school on Okeechobee Blvd., just west of the Madison Green residential development.
In 1986, both Palms West Hospital and Wellington Regional Medical Center opened with 117 and 120 beds, respectively, and both are continuing with major expansion projects to meet the health care needs of local residents. With the hospitals came a building boom of medical office complexes on the campuses of both hospitals, as well as a Royal Palm Beach health center built by West Palm Beach's Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Since the village's inception, public safety has been foremost in the minds of residents and village officials. In June 1960, Joseph Klopp became the first Royal Palm Beach police chief. That first year, "Klopp the Cop" was the sole full-time officer with several auxiliary part-timers. Today, the accredited department counts nearly 50 sworn officers in addition to dispatchers, school crossing guards, detectives, a captain, and the chief based in a modern, computerized department in a building within the Village Hall complex. In 2007 the policing duties were contracted out to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's department with a significant savings to the Village taxpayers.
Royal Palm Beach residents have also appreciated the security of a local fire department since a volunteer force of eight individuals was recruited in a construction trailer in January 1963. In 1969, the department moved its headquarters to a maintenance building in the present Commerce Park, which featured three bays and two trucks. A final move in 1976 to the department's building on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. enabled the department to expand its manpower and equipment. At that time, the department shared the building with the police department.
Village firefighters weren't paid until 1972 and the two full-timers on staff made about $6,000 a year. The following year, three more full-time firefighters were hired, and in 1975, Karl Combs became the first full-time chief at a salary of $13,500 a year. With a growing population, and thankfully few structural fires, the focus of the department expanded to include emergency medical treatment. Combs and a department lieutenant were enrolled in the county's first paramedic-rescue course and, less than a week later, answered a cardiac arrest call for a village resident who would have died had Combs not taken the course. Within the next four years, the department hired 18 additional paramedic/EMT trained firefighters. A second station opened in 1994 at the entrance of the Counterpoint Estates to cut response times to residents living in the State Road 7 area. In March 1999, following a council-authorized study by consultants, a controversial and much-debated decision was made to curtail an independent village fire department and instead merge equipment and personnel with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.
Village recreation needs were not overlooked during the booming growth period and since 1974. Under the department's purview are approximately of parks and green space as well as the village's Cultural Center which opened in 1993.
Since 1990, Royal Palm Beach has been named as a
Tree City USA
The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...
. Its entire area is designated as a
bird sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...
.
Geography
Royal Palm Beach is located at (26.705851, –80.226554).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the village has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26.1 km), of which 9.9 square miles (25.6 km) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km) (1.79%) is water.
Climate
The climate of Royal Palm Beach is tropical.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 38,932 people, 12,090 households, and 9,342 families residing in the village.
2010 census
As of 2010, there were 12,854 households, out of which 10.1% were vacant. In 2000, there were 7,604 households, of which 63.9% were child-free married couples, 42% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 11% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-related individuals. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.20.
2000 census
In 2000, the village, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the village was $54,766, and the median income for a family was $61,063. Males had a median income of $39,356 versus $29,991 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the village was $21,875. About 3.7% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2000, speakers of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
as a
first language
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
accounted for 85.80% of all residents, while
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
was at 11.49%, and
Tagalog as a
mother tongue
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
made up 0.48% of the population.
As of 2000, Royal Palm Beach had the eighty-ninth highest percentage of
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
n residents in the US, with 2.95%, while its
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n community had the thirty-second highest percentage in the US, with 4.10% of the population (tied with
Tamarac and
Goulds.)
Local government
Royal Palm Beach is governed by a
mayor-council government.
Mission statement
The Mission of the Village of Royal Palm Beach Mayor and Council is to represent the public interest, promote quick, courteous response to residents' problems, provide leadership and direction to the Village's future, and assure the present and future fiscal integrity of the municipal government. The Village of Royal Palm Beach strives to provide its citizens with a clean, safe, family oriented community.
Mayor
The Mayor of Royal Palm Beach is currently Fred Pinto. His term expires in March 2022.
City Council
The city council consists of four chairs. The following are established and filled as:
* Seat 1: Councilman Jeff Hmara
* Seat 2: Councilman Richard Valuntas
* Seat 3: Vice Mayor Selena S. Samios
* Seat 4: Councilwoman Jan Rodusky
Public safety
Fire and Rescue Department
Currently,
Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the citizens of Royal Palm Beach. There are two fire stations assigned to the village:
*Station 28 – Engine 28, Rescue 28, Brush 28 and 3 command vehicles;
*Station 29 – Rescue 29, Truck 29.
Station 28 is the headquarters for Battalion 2, which covers Royal Palm Beach and the other Palms West Communities.
Police Department
Law enforcement in Royal Palm Beach is provided by th
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office District 9, which operates from a sub-station in Royal Palm Beach, and is staffed by 56 sworn deputies and 5 civilian employees. It is commanded by Captain Ulrich Naujoks and Lieutenant Michael B.Ferrante.
[https://www.royalpalmbeach.com/sites/default/files/fileattachments/police/page/14381/pbso_presentation.pdf Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
District 9 - Royal Palm Beach
]
Federal government
Located at 9300 Belvedere Road, the
USCIS West Palm Beach Field Office
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) West Palm Beach Field Office replaced a hodge podge of USCIS offices mainly located in nearby West Palm Beach, Florida. The new center was officially opened August 13, 2009. The new Fi ...
handles a variety of immigration matters for eight Florida counties.
Local newspapers
The ''
Town-Crier'' is a weekly, or more frequent, newspaper specifically located in and serving the Palms West Communities of Royal Palm Beach,
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
,
Loxahatchee Groves
Loxahatchee Groves is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 3,180. Loxahatchee Groves was incorporated November 1, 2006, as the 38th municipality in Palm Beach County. The first el ...
and
The Acreage. Published weekly, the ''Town-Crier'' was founded by Bob Markey Sr. and family, but was sold in 1998 to the Manning family. The ''Town-Crier'' was published twice-weekly, with featured editions in nearby communities, on its own printing presses during the 1980s and early 1990s. The ''Town-Crier'' published the first newspaper Web site in Palm Beach County in 1995.
''
Palms West Monthly'' is a monthly news and features paper published by Rob Harris in and for the communities of Royal Palm Beach, Wellington and environs.
The ''
Palm Beach Post
''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' we ...
'' is a daily newspaper serving all of Palm Beach County.
References
External links
Royal Palm Beach Online (local news website)Royal Palm Beach official websitePalm Beach County Fire-Rescue official websitePalm Beach County Sheriffs Office District 9 official website
{{authority control
Villages in Palm Beach County, Florida
Villages in Florida
1959 establishments in Florida
Populated places established in 1959