TAMPA, Fla. — Plan Hillsborough is hosting public input meetings this week for its updated Palm River-Progress Village Community Area Plan.

It’s a long-range plan that is getting needed changes since approved in 2008.

Resident input has already identified some key areas it wants the county to consider, including adding services to the area like grocery stores, medical offices and banks.

The city of Tampa and Hillsborough County share the Palm River-Progress Village area.

On top of the infrastructure challenges, it has a unique mix of zoning between commercial, residential and industrial, with Tampa’s port nearby.

Senior planner with Plan Hillsborough, Sofia Garantiva, says controlling growth while preserving the character of the area is the county’s top priority.

“There’s a great history with the Progress Village Area,” said Garantiva. “And there is a desire to keep that history and to maintain it, and to make sure people moving into the area are aware of the importance of this history there. So we try to address that in this plan as well.”

The county will address those concerns by providing new grant funding and education to the area.

So far, residents have told the county they want to see more services in the area, like grocery stores and retail, medical offices and banks.

They have two public input meetings left, with the first one on Monday, Dec. 4, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Emanual P. Johnson Community Center.

The final meeting is scheduled for Dec. 7.