HomeMy Public PortalAbout211.4 - Families, Parks and Recreation - Parks Division - Memorials and Monuments Policy
Families, Parks and Recreation
Parks Division Section 211.4
Policies and Procedures Manual Page 1
211.4: Memorials and Monuments Policy
Objective:
Cities play an important role in commemorating people, history and ideas
central to a society’s sense of identity and value. Memorials and
monuments are tangible and easily recognizable forms of commemoration
that enrich the City’s physical and social environment.
The Orlando City Council is committed to a clear, objective, fair and robust
process for responding to requests from the public to install a diverse range
of memorials and monuments on public property. This policy provides the
framework for approving memorials and monuments to be installed at City
of Orlando parks and recreational facilities included in section 18A.02 and
18A.06 of the City Code and Lake Eola Park. The policy encourages
commemoration while ensuring that fair and balanced decisions are made.
Authority:
This policy amended by City Council September 21, 2020 Item A-2.
Direction:
FPR Department Director, as an appointed official, serves at the pleasure
of the Mayor, and receives direction through the Chief Administrative
Office.
Functions:
1. Definitions
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a. City-sponsored – a monument or memorial, approved by City
Council, for which City of Orlando staff and/or elected officials
are fully or primarily responsible for conception, design and
funding.
b. Cornerstone parks – serves broader populations than
Neighborhood-level parks. Cornerstone parks include but are
not limited to: Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake, Lake Eola
Park, Loch Haven Cultural Park, Trotters Park, Lake Fairview
Park, Eagles Nest Park, Clear Lake Park, Hankins Park, Blue
Jacket Park, Park of the Americas, Demetree Park, Langford
Park, Southport Park, Airport Lakes Park, Orlando Veterans’
Memorial Park, George Barker Park, Lake Underhill Park,
Heroes Community Park, McCoy Community Park and Lorna
Doone Park.
c. Flag – most commonly, a piece of cloth having a distinctive
size, color, and design used for a symbol, standard, signal, or
related representation. This is inclusive of flags of any kind
including cloth, metal, paper or any other material.
d. Landscape features – memorials/monuments may also take the
form of landscape features, such as water fountains, trees or
areas of the City that can be enhanced, redeveloped or
reclaimed through the use of donor funds or bequests in
commemoration of a person, event or place as applicable.
e. Large Memorials/Monuments – objects whose value (including
design, installation and the object itself) is greater than $1,000,
such as monuments, works of art, busts, playground
equipment, architectural items or sculptures. Any plaque,
except when mounted on a bench, will be considered a large
monument.
f. Memorial – a statement/object/landscape feature intended to
honor a person or event of historical significance.
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g. Monument – an enduring physical object erected to
commemorate the enduring historic significance or association
of a notable person, event, place or thing.
h. Small Memorials/Monuments – an enduring physical object or
statement of historic significance whose value (including
design, installation and the object itself) is less than $1,000. All
dedicated trees and benches are considered Small Memorials
regardless of the cost.
i. Dedicated Benches – to commemorate a person(s). All
dedicated benches are considered Small Memorials regardless
of cost.
j. Dedicated Trees – to commemorate a person(s). All dedicated
trees will be considered Small Monuments regardless of cost
and may only be installed without a plaque.
k. Greenwood Wetland Pet Memorial – an area with plaques
installed to memorialize pets located near Lake Greenwood and
Greenwood Urban Wetlands.
l. Plaques – except when mounted on a bench, shall be
considered large monuments, regardless of cost.
For the purposes of this policy, monuments and memorials may
simply be referred to as memorials.
2. Criteria
All review and approval of memorials shall be based on the totality of
the following criteria:
a. Cost estimate
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b. Subject
i. Small Memorials – the subject may commemorate an
individual or event. The Parks/Recreation Division
Manager or designee has authority to approve small
memorial request.
ii. Large Memorial – the subject of a large memorial must
demonstrate a high level of significance by meeting at
least one of the following criteria:
1. The person or group has made an outstanding
contribution to the cultural, political or social
development of the City of Orlando, the State of
Florida, the United States of America, or the
international community.
2. The site or event is historically or culturally
significant and/or represents an important and
unique City or civic anniversary.
c. Whether the person, event or place is already memorialized
elsewhere in the City.
d. Whether the proposed design fits the aesthetic integrity or
interferes with the unique or cultural character of a public park
or recreation center.
e. Flags
i. Flags may not be permanent and can only be raised
during ceremonial events other than a federal, state or
city flag, or flags approved by the Mayor’s Veterans
Advisory Council.
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ii. The raising, lowering, maintenance and replacement of all
flags included in a memorial are the responsibility of the
donor and shall be displayed in conformance with Federal
and State policies as stated in the United States Code
Chapter (1) Title 4, “U.S. Flag Code” and the State of
Florida Division of Administrative Services “Flag Protocol
and Display.”
f. Memorial must not contain content which demeans, ridicules,
maligns, disparages, expresses bias or disrespect of any
individual or group on the basis of race, color, religion, national
origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or marital
status or any other protected class, or is obscene, or which
violates any city, state or federal law or promotes violence.
g. Memorial content must not commercially benefit any company
or entity.
h. Location
i. The proposed site/location is consistent with and does not
interfere with the Families, Parks and Recreation
Department Vision Plan, or, if applicable, the master plan
for the site. The proposed location will not compromise
the aesthetic integrity or interfere with the unique or
cultural character of the area.
ii. The applicant must demonstrate why the selected site is
appropriate and provide sufficient justification for the
memorial being in that location. Where appropriate,
preference will be given to co-location of new memorials
within a site of common interest.
iii. Consideration will be given to existing uses of the
proposed location, with a goal of preventing the memorial
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from disrupting appropriate public use of City park and
recreation facilities.
iv. At the City’s sole discretion, the memorial once placed
may be relocated at the City’s expense to another
location.
i. Risk Assessment
An assessment of potential risks created by placing the
proposed memorial at the proposed location will be undertaken
by the City’s Risk Management Division and Public Works
Department, with the resulting opinions forming part of the
decision-making process. This will include an evaluation of any
potential costs to the City.
j. Artistic/Design Merit
Artwork must be approved by and meet artistic and design
merit standards as determined by the City’s Public Art Advisory
Board.
k. Veterans Memorials
Veterans memorials must be approved by and meet the City’s
veterans memorial standards, as determined by the Mayor’s
Veteran’s Advisory Council and outlined in the Mayor’s
Veteran’s Advisory Council Monuments and Memorials
Guidelines.
l. Historic District
Memorials proposed within a City Historic District shall be
reviewed for consistency with the City’s Historic Preservation
ordinances.
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m. Community Redevelopment Agency
Memorials proposed within the Downtown Development Board
District shall be reviewed for consistency with the City’s CRA
ordinances.
3. Application Process
a. Small Memorials
i. To install a small memorial, bench or tree at a City park or
recreation facility, an applicant shall submit a written
application to the Director of Families, Parks and
Recreation. The application will be reviewed by the Parks
or Recreation Division Manager who will approve or deny
installation of the small memorial, bench or tree.
Plaques are not permitted to be installed on or adjacent to
memorial trees. The applicant will receive a certificate
commemorating the tree along with a photo and location
map.
ii. Greenwood Wetland Pet Memorial – To place a custom
engraved plaque to pay tribute to a pet at this site, submit
an application located on www.orlandotrust.org.
iii. The Parks/Recreation Division Manager or designee has
the authority to approve or deny applications for small
memorials based on the criteria in paragraph 2. Criteria.
b. Large Memorials
i. Application for City-Sponsored memorial at Parks other
than Cornerstone Parks
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For City-sponsored memorials proposed for installation in
a park, other than a Cornerstone park, staff will ensure
that the memorial meets all existing City design,
construction and safety requirements, and then submit
the memorial application to City Council for approval at a
regularly scheduled City Council meeting.
ii. Application for Non-City Sponsored memorial at all parks
and City-Sponsored memorial at Cornerstone Parks
Applicants wishing to install a large memorial at a City
park or recreation facility shall submit a written
application, including a conceptual plan, to the Director of
Families, Parks and Recreation for review.
If the applicant has already selected a park in which to
install the memorial, the Director will forward the
application to the City Commissioner in whose district the
park is located. The applicable district Commissioner will
review and recommend approval or denial of the request
to install the memorial at the proposed park based upon
the criteria listed in paragraph 2. Criteria above. The
Commissioner may choose to postpone his or her review
until later in the process, pending input from other
reviewers or may choose to by-pass Commissioner
review until the installation and maintenance agreement is
before City Council for consideration, which is the final
step in the process.
Once returned from the district Commissioner, or if the
Director has not received any response from the district
Commissioner within thirty (30) days, the Director shall
forward the application to the next step in the review
process. The applicable FPR Division shall provide advice
to the applicant during the submission process, including
assistance in identifying an appropriate location(s),
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explaining the steps and various boards involved in the
approval process, describing the City’s requirements
regarding installation and maintenance responsibilities,
and providing the applicant with basic information
regarding technical/engineering requirements. Once the
Parks and/or Recreation Division has received a fully
completed application, and determined that it meets all
the criteria in paragraph 2 above, the Division shall
forward the application package to the following City
Divisions and Advisory Boards, if applicable, for
evaluation and recommendation of approval or denial:
1. Risk Management and Public Works
2. Public Art Advisory Board (only reviews applications
involving art)
3. Mayor’s Veteran’s Advisory Council (only reviews
applications involving veteran or military related
subjects)
4. Historic Preservation Officer (only reviews
applications located in the historic district)
5. Community Redevelopment Agency
6. Families, Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
For “Large Memorials,” the Director of Families, Parks &
Recreation shall forward all completed applications, along
with their corresponding recommendations of approval or
denial submitted per 3.b.ii. (1) through (6) above, to the
Families, Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, which will
take all comments into consideration when making a final
recommendation regarding whether the application
should be approved or denied. If the Families, Parks &
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Recreation Advisory Board recommends approval of the
application, the Families, Parks and Recreation
Department shall proceed with the development of an
installation and maintenance agreement between the City
and the applicant, which will require the approval of the
Orlando City Council. If the FPR Board recommends
disapproval of the application, the board shall provide to
the Director of FPR written details specifying the criteria
which has not been met.
c. The FPR Director shall have the final authority to determine
whether to submit the installation and maintenance agreement
to City Council based upon the totality of the circumstances.
d. Appeals
For individuals or organizations whose applications have been
denied, the applicant may appeal the decision to the City’s
Chief Administrative Officer or designee.
4. Roles and Responsibilities
a. Cost/Funding
For memorials that are not City-sponsored, all costs associated
with designing, constructing, and maintaining the memorial will
be covered in full by the applicant unless otherwise agreed
upon in an installation and maintenance agreement, approved
by City Council.
b. Installation/Maintenance
Small Memorials
In the case of small memorials, dedicated trees and dedicated
benches, the donor shall either purchase the donated items
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directly or the City will purchase the memorial after receipt of a
monetary donation in the full amount as determined by the
Families, Parks and Recreation Department’s estimate for
purchase and installation. Donations may be made payable to
the Orlando Community & Youth Trust, Inc., which will arrange
for the purchase of the memorial.
Unless otherwise addressed by a written installation and
maintenance agreement approved by City Council, the City
shall install and maintain the small memorial donated item for a
period of five (5) years. After 5 years, determination of the
future of the item will be at the City’s discretion, including
whether to relocate, disassemble or remove and dispose of,
return to donor or make arrangements for the ongoing
maintenance and management of the memorial.
All dedicated trees will be maintained or replaced for a
minimum of 5 years by the City. After that, the City will maintain
the tree as part of its Urban Forest Inventory and subject to all
protections and priorities when considering any changes to park
master plans.
Large Memorials
Unless otherwise covered by an installation and maintenance
agreement approved by City Council, all large memorials must
be maintained by the donor for the first 5 years. After 5 years,
determination of the future of the item will be at the City’s
discretion, including whether to relocate, disassemble or
remove and dispose of, return to the donor, or make
arrangements for the ongoing maintenance and management
of the memorial.
c. Ownership
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i. All memorials placed or commissioned on a public park or
recreational facility within the City of Orlando are deemed
to be under control of the City and managed in
accordance with standards established by the City
Council.
ii. When a memorial is accepted by the City, it automatically
becomes part of the City’s Asset Management System,
which is managed by Council through the City’s Office of
Business and Financial Services.
Forms:
Memorials and Monuments Application
Small Memorials Application
Bench or Tree Selection Application and Payment Form
Committee Responsibilities:
Public Art Advisory Board, Mayor’s Veteran’s Advisory Council, Historic
Preservation Officer, Community Redevelopment Agency, Families, Parks
& Recreation Advisory Board.
Reference:
City Code, Section 2.138, as amended July 28, 1975, 28.15-28.17.
Procedure adopted by City Council August 11, 1969, Item 37; amended
May 20, 1974, Item 19; amended October 13, 1975, Item 19; amended
November 14, 1977, Item 6; amended February 19, 1979, Item 16;
amended August 20, 1979, Item 14; amended August 13, 1984, Item 12 (A-
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10); amended April 19, 1993, Item VV; amended September 15, 2003;
amended September 21, 2020, Item A-2.
Date:
This policy effective September 21, 2020.