“I want to begin by thanking the hundreds of community members who showed up to public meetings, to our legislative office, and to their neighbors’ kitchen tables to make their voices heard about the future of Harry P. Leu Gardens. You wrote emails, you asked hard questions, you stayed late, and you did it because you love Leu Gardens and Orlando. That participation is exactly how good public process is supposed to work, and I am grateful for every person who took part.
The City’s decision to pause this proposed master plan reflects that engagement, and I support it. Leu Gardens is a treasure and any vision for its future has to be shaped by the people who visit, volunteer, and live alongside it, and it has to put environmental conservation and the long-term health of the Gardens first.
Slowing down to get this right is not a setback. It’s stewardship. I look forward to continuing to work alongside residents, City leadership, and Gardens staff to ensure that whatever comes next honors both our community’s vision and the ecological integrity of this extraordinary place.”