Cover_Jan 05 (Page 2) - The Parklander Magazine

Parkland Continues
To Blossom As It Grows
By Ira Goldman
The other day I was thinking about the changes since our family
moved to Parkland, population about 7,000, in the summer of 1991.
I had never before lived in a city that actually “grew up” around me.
I was used to living in a medium-sized New Jersey city of 120,000 and
the world’s leading city, New York, with 8,000,000 people.
One of the first communities in the eastern section of Parkland was the
rental community of Winners Circle. We moved in along with a plethora of
“new Floridians” from New York, Connecticut,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For some reason 1991
seemed to be a banner year for the southern migration
of families from the northeast United States.
Across the street from the Winners Circle, on the
north side of Hillsboro, was a large wooded area that
ran from the northwest corner of Rt. 441 and Hillsboro
to Parkland’s second commercial site, the car wash.
Today, this area is the BJ’s site with a bank, a soon-to-be
two-story office building and the commercial area
anchored by Starbucks and the new Millenium Plaza.
The building of Terramar Park and the development
of Whittier Oaks started a new building spurt for
single-family homes in eastern Parkland. Following
Whittier Oaks was Ternbridge, Mayfair and the other
eastern communities, which were built out in the late
1990s.
Schools were scarce
In 1991, schools were scarce in Parkland. Riverglades Elementary
School was being built to accommodate the influx of young families. This
school would join Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as the two
“Parkland Schools,” though at that time, in name only. The building of the
middle school, West Glades, would not take place until the early 2000’s.
The Parkland Town Center was originally zoned for a townhouse community
but was rezoned for business use. The main reason for the zoning
change seemed to be the overcrowding of residences in this district causing
an even greater overcapacity of the schools. Today, we have an evolving
Town Center that will eventually have retail stabilization.
I remember going into the old City Hall, on the corner of Parkside and
Holmberg, for PHO stickers, to talk with Harry Mertz and attending the
P&Z Board and city commission meetings. With Parkland’s growth, it was
only a matter of time before the old City Hall would give way to a new edifice
at University and Holmberg.
Our new City Hall fits well into our rural, “country-chic” ambiance.
One enters the building on the northeast side and immediately inside in
front of the main doors is the Commission Chambers. The information desk
is to the left (Rachel, I am sure, will gladly assist you in answering your
questions) and the city offices are along the periphery of the building. If you
haven’t gone to our City Hall yet, it is worthwhile taking the time to see it.
Walk to the east of City Hall and you’ll be at the new library. Our
library is a modern, 21st-century building with all of the necessary computer
links, stocked bookshelves, meeting rooms and the only place one can see
the Historical Society’s exhibit on the 40-plus years of Parkland’s past.
Parkland’s ‘Focal Point’
With City Hall, the library and the soon to be
completed police and fire station on the northeast corner
of Holmberg and University, the geographic center
of Parkland has been established. With University
Drive as the southern “entrance” to Parkland, our civic
complex is a strong focal point.
Growth, at times, comes with some heavy burdens.
Old political figures fall out of favor and new
ones are elected to take their places. Job transfers cause
families to pick up and move against their wishes.
Educational needs are among the primary concerns of
a growing population, especially local schools and the
ancillary amenities that the people demand, like parks
and recreational facilities. Although Broward County
controls education, we have people like Carolyn and
Robert Marks, who made sure that we in Parkland
would have our “own” schools. Through their leadership
and their persistence with the Broward County Board of Education,
Parkland’s schools are considered some of the best in the state.
Parkland has grown in the last 13 years faster than any other time in its
existence. Within the next few years, Parkland will be at the stage of complete
“build-out” with no more available land to build upon. With proper
care, Parkland will continue to be the gem of northern Broward County, if
not the state. As far as I am concerned, no other Florida city has the beautiful,
unspoiled open space, parks, schools and residential communities of
Parkland. Now, we are among the 14,000-plus “newcomers” proud to say,
“I live in Parkland, and I love it!” P ●
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the PARKLANDER 53