The Hillsborough County Planning & Growth Management Department, with assistance from the Planning Commission and Office of Neighborhood Relations worked with East Lake–Orient Park Area residents, civic leaders, business owners, and organizational representatives in assessing current characteristics, future aspirations and methods of bringing about desired change for the study area.

The Community Plan is an official policy document adopted through a Vision statement and implementing Goals and Strategies into the County’s Comprehensive Plan.  The Plan is recognized in future development, redevelopment, economic, environmental, and other decisions affecting the East Lake–Orient Park area.  It does not create projects that must be funded by the County and does not circumvent the Board of County Commissioners’ budget process. It is to be implemented by citizens through a variety of public, private and public/private partnerships.

On June 5, 2006, a well attended kick-off open house launched the East Lake–Orient Park Community Planning Process.  Many participants at the open house volunteered to join a Working Committee to identify issues affecting the community and to develop goals, strategies, and implementation methods.  These goals and strategies were prioritized to develop and fine tune the Community Plan over the life of the process.

Working Committee meetings were held in the East Lake–Orient Park planning area on a monthly basis beginning in July 2006 and concluding in March 2008.  This included a total of 18 monthly meetings not including the two open houses conducted in June 2006 and October 2007.  All meetings were open to the public.  Through active participation and involvement by interested area residents and business leaders, a Community Plan was developed to reflect the community’s values, provide guidelines for local development and address quality of life issues in the East Lake–Orient Park Area.

The East Lake - Orient Park Community Plan includes a number of vastly diverse communities that provide a variety of residential lifestyles, from highly-urbanized to suburban to rural.  Residents are able to choose which intensity of development is most suitable for their needs. The East Lake – Orient Park Community is centrally located, within minutes of everything in Hillsborough County, Florida.  This community has easy access to Interstate 4, Interstate 75, US 92 and US 301 Highways.  It also contains such amenities to include the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Florida State Fairgrounds, Ford Amphitheater, Vandenberg Airport, NetPark Office Complex and Eureka Springs Park.  Among its neighbors are the University of South Florida and Busch Gardens.