By Anita Todd
HAINES CITY – Haines City officials want folks to know when they are in the Heart of Florida – in fact, even more specifically, in the City Limits.
With all the growth, especially along U.S. Highway 27, there is some confusion about the actual location of many existing and newly constructed businesses. Since 2022, 58 new businesses have opened in the City Limits of Haines City – 29 of those are along Hwy. 27.
Polk State College? City Limits of Haines City. Advent Health Heart of Florida? City Limits of Haines City. Davenport Diner? City Limits of Haines City. Miller’s Ale House? City Limits of Haines City. Bojangles? City Limits of Haines City. Webb’s Candy Shop? City Limits of Haines City. The new Pizza Hut and Anytime Fitness located inside Forest Lake Plaza? City Limits of Haines City.
James Keene, Deputy City Manager, explained it easily, “Everything on Highway 27 from Balmoral Resort and the new Crossroads Village (on the corner of U.S. Hwy. 27 and State Road 17) to Posner Park (at U.S. Hwy. 27 and I-4) is either in the City Limits of Haines City or in Unincorporated Polk County,” Keene said.
“Except for the Race-Trac, the new Sherwin Williams, and the soon-to-be-built Home Depot on the corner of U.S. Highway 27 and County Road 547/Davenport Boulevard – everything else on Hwy. 27 is within the City Limits of Haines City or Unincorporated Polk County. Only those three businesses are in the city limits of Davenport.”
Many years ago, the U.S. Postal Service assigned Davenport mailing addresses to much of the unincorporated area along Hwy. 27. Back then, it was not an issue because most of the area was groves or unimproved land. However, now that there are homes, offices, restaurants and retail on these properties, it has gotten more complicated, and the U.S. Postal Service refuses to correct the addresses.
“It’s not your mailing address that counts, it’s where you physically live that matters with many important municipal services, such as what emergency service will respond when you need them, and where is my voting precinct” Keene said.
Back in 2004, the city began to annex businesses and property into the city limits, starting with Webb’s Candy, which at the time was listed as unincorporated Polk County, and continued North to the current city limits we know today.
Now, officials worry that they will contact the wrong entity for emergency services and go to the wrong location to vote.
“I understand it can be confusing, but this is an important topic that residents and business owners need to understand,” he said.
For clarification on your exact location, visit polkpa.org, find your property and open it, scroll down to “Taxing District”: You will be in one of three categories: (HAINES CITY /SWFWMD), (UNINCORP/SWFWMD), or (DAVENPORT/SWFWMD).
