The Orlando City Council approved an interim memorial site at Pulse nightclub in Orlando Monday during a meeting.
Commissioners came together at 2 p.m. to review a permit that requested a new fence around the nightclub, added lighted benches, murals, landscaping, signage, and more.
Pulse owner Barbara Poma said she wants to see the chain link fence that was set up by FBI following a mass shooting that occurred in June 2016 be replaced. In its place, she’d like to see panels and a barrier that is more durable and can hold up murals.
Alongside the new fence Poma would like to add artificial turf and benches to give the nightclub an appearance “less like a crime scene and make it more like a site where you can come pay respects,” she told News 6 in Orlando.
“I think it’s a way to help the community heal and move forward,” she said to Channel 9. “I also feel the community needs a more dignified and respected place to pay their respects.”
While there is no timeline on these changes, Poma would like to see the process be as speedy as possible. Right now she isn’t sure where the funding for the construction will come from.
Orlando city council APPROVED permit for temporary memorial at #Pulse nightclub site. More details on the plans beginning @MyNews13 at 5. pic.twitter.com/AuR0ZjLCTk
— Jeff Allen (@News13JeffAllen) October 9, 2017
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioner Patty Sheehan praised Poma’s efforts.
“It’s really important to go through the process that allows the victims of the families and the community as a whole to have input into the process,” Dyer said to News 6. “That’s almost as important as what comes out of it. So coming up with a temporary solution in the interim is a really good idea.”
Chairman of the onePULSE Foundation, Earl Crittenden, said Monday’s meeting is a step towards healing.
According to Channel 9, the foundation’s board members have traveled to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The members also have plans to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum for further research.
At 6 p.m. Monday a public forum will be held to discuss a permanent memorial at Pulse. Community members are invited to town hall for the meeting.
