How a decade makes a difference

Council members are proud of what has been accomplished in the village’s first ten years and are excited about future projects.

Introduction

Gary C. Matzner was elected as Pinecrest’s second mayor in November 2004. He serves with Vice Mayor Robert Hingston and council members Cindie Blanck, Nancy L. Harter and Gail D. Serota.

Here are their thoughts on Pinecrest’s first decade and their hopes for the future:

Mayor Gary C. Matzner

Matzner was one of the first residents involved in the incorporation process with former Pinecrest Mayor Evelyn Greer. The two orchestrated meetings with residents to explore breaking away from Miami-Dade County.

“I think we accomplished more than we promised the citizens 10 years ago,” he said. “The product that we put out and the services that we provide are higher than we thought we could provide.”

Matzner, a lawyer with McDermott Will & Emory and resident of Pinecrest for about 20 years, said he is eager to move forward with a library and community center planned for Pinecrest Gardens.

“When you talk about a hometown, you want a place where people can say, ‘This is where we go in Pinecrest,’ ” he said of the facilities.

Matzner hopes to stave off the high-rise fever that is plaguing so many growing communities.

“If the village pretty much stays the same, it will be successful,” he said. “Given what’s going on in Dade County in terms of growth and all the problems that come with it, if we could just stay the way we are in terms of the size and density and keep the tax rate, that would be the most successful that we could be.”

Vice Mayor Robert Hingston

Hingston is one of the original council members. He favored incorporation.

“I felt we couldn’t do any worse than we were with the county,” he said.

Living in the area for more than 20 years, Hingston said he decided to run in 1996 after seeing an advertisement for candidates in the newspaper.

Hingston, a partner in the law firm of Welbaum, Guernsey, Hingston, Greenleaf, Gregory, Black, Rune, and Thomas, said he has always been very involved in the community, especially in youth sports. He has been a member of the Optimist Club of Suniland since 1979 and the Howard-Palmetto Baseball-Softball Association since 1983.

He said the village has thrived in its short history and he is glad he has been a part of it.

“You feel like you got something done, something accomplished,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to say you helped do these things for the community.”

Gail D. Serota, Council Seat 1

Serota, a lawyer with Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole and Boniske, has been on the council since 2004 when she ran unopposed.

Serota is the treasurer of Bet Shira Congregation, was a member of the village’s planning board and served as president of Pinecrest Elementary School’s PTA.

“I find local government interesting,” she said. “It is the level of government in which people have the most say.”

A village resident for about eight years, Serota said the biggest challenge to council members is planning gradual change that does not compromise Pinecrest’s essence.

“My objective, which was also my campaign platform, was to try to retain the character of Pinecrest, what makes it unique from other communities, while also recognizing some change is inevitable,” she said.

Serota said she looks forward to the library and community center at Pinecrest Gardens.

She also wants to get county water to residents still using wells.

Cindie Blanck, Council Seat 2

Blanck, also elected in 1996, said she is proud of the council’s accomplishments.

She moved to the area about 19 years ago because she wanted her three daughters to get a good education.

“When I had my children, I moved over here because of the schools and the acreage on the land,” she said. “I think we are fortunate to have a very family-centered community.”

Blanck, the owner of AA Uniform Company, was involved in the incorporation process and took a particular interest in setting up the police department.

Not only does the village have more police presence than before, she said, but residents feel comfortable going to the chief or other officers with questions and concerns.

She’s also looking forward to the improvements at Pinecrest Gardens.

“As the original council, we envisioned a community center and library and [Mayor] Gary [Matzner] has really moved that forward,” she said.

Nancy L. Harter, Council Seat 3

Harter moved to Pinecrest in 1999 for the same reason many families do: “Because of the good schools in the area,” she said.

Harter, vice president of strategic planning for Kerry’s Bromeliad Nursery, is treasurer of the Girl Scout Service Unit, which coordinates troops in Pinecrest; PTA president for Palmetto Middle School; member of the Educational Excellence School Advisory Council at Miami Palmetto Senior High and an officer of the Miami Wellesley Club.

Harter said the council accomplished many things before she joined it in 2004, and she is optimistic about plans for the future, especially Pinecrest Gardens. “It is a real jewel,” she said.

She encourages residents to become involved. “It’s interesting to hear all the community comments that come up and it’s a learning experience all around,” she said. “We are open for suggestions and open for criticism. We are here to try and make [Pinecrest] the best place for all of us.”

Important Events in Pinecrest’s History

• September 1995: Voters approve cityhood by a 2-1 margin.
• March 1996: Voters adopt the Village charter, making Pinecrest Miami-Dade County’s 29th municipality.
• May 1996: Evelyn Langlieb Greer sworn in as first mayor, along with council members Robert Hingston, Leslie Bowe, Cindie Blanck and Barry Blaxberg.
• July 1997: Pinecrest Police Department begins operating, assumes responsibilities from Miami-Dade Police.
• October 1998: Council members Blanck and Hingston reelected without opposition.
• July 1999: Coral Pine Park, Suniland Park and Veterans Wayside Park transferred from Miami-Dade County to Pinecrest.
• January 2000: Groundbreaking ceremony for fourth park, Pinecrest Park, later renamed Evelyn Greer Park.
• October 2000: Greer and council members Blaxberg and Bowe reelected without opposition.
• November 2002: Council members Blanck and Hingston reelected without opposition.
• December 2002: Village purchases historic Parrot Jungle and Gardens site for a park, renames it Pinecrest Gardens.
• September 2003: Groundbreaking for Village Hall, which is occupied in October 2004.
• November 2004: Gary C. Matzner elected mayor, Nancy L. Harter and Gail D. Serota elected to council, replacing Blaxberg and Bowe.

Portrait Labels

MATZNER; HINGSTON; SEROTA; BLANCK; HARTER.