About Pembroke Pines Florida...
Pembroke Pines was incorporated in 1960 when 98%
of 425 voters cast “yes” votes in Enron Day’s carport. The less than
a square mile property was between Pembroke Road (south) and then
Hollywood Boulevard (north) and SW 72 Avenue (west) and the Florida
Turnpike (east). Dr. Seth Kipnis was the first mayor, who presided
over a 7 member Board of Alderman (or councilmen/women).
This first section of Pembroke Pines had been a dairy farm pasture,
as had most of the western habitable reaches of southwest Broward
County along the University Drive area. In 1943, pioneer dairy
farmer Henry D. Perry sold 640 acres to the U.S. Navy for a
flight-training field between Pembroke Road and Hollywood Boulevard.
After World War II, the airport was turned over to Broward County
for small plane use. During the winter, there may be two or three
advertising blimps operating out of the airport and U.S. Coast Guard
helicopters practicing search and rescue skills.
In 1961, Dr. Kipnis was re-elected and a city manger was hired. This
city council/city manager form of government has been used since
then which means that the mayor and council develop rules and
regulations and the city manager carries them out.
The city was blocked from westward expansion by the square-mile
county owned North Perry airport and South Florida State Hospital to
its west. A developer, Joseph LaCroix, agreed to have his 320 acres
north of Pines Boulevard and east of Davie Road Extension annexed
into the city. This gave the little town its pathway for western
expansion. In 1980, the largest piece of property from Flamingo Road
to US 27 was annexed, which doubled the city’s size. The annexation
included the county’s CB Smith Park at Pines Boulevard and Flamingo
Road.
