Interoffice Memorandum
DATE: October 24, 2025
TO: Mayor Jerry L. Demings and County Commissioners
THROUGH: N/A
FROM: Tanya Wilson, AICP, Director, Planning, Environmental, and Development Services Department
CONTACT: Renée H. Parker, LEP, Manager, Environmental Protection Officer
PHONE: (407) 836-1420
DIVISION: Environmental Protection Division
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approval of the Green PLACE Advisory Board recommendation to name the site informally known as the Song Parcel (Parcel 185) as Rose Rush Preserve. District 5. (Environmental Protection Division)
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PROJECT: Green PLACE Advisory Board Recommendation for Naming of a Green PLACE Property
PURPOSE: On September 28, 2021, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved a resolution providing for creation of the Green PLACE Advisory Board (GPAB). In accordance with that resolution, one of the duties and responsibilities of the Green PLACE Advisory Board is to “Recommend names for Green PLACE parcels using the procedure outlined in Administrative Regulation 2.16 (Naming of Orange County Parks and Related Facilities).” During their August 13, 2025, meeting, the Green PLACE Advisory Board approved a motion to recommend naming the site informally known as Song Property as Rose Rush Preserve.
Background:
Below is background information that was the basis for the Green PLACE Advisory Board decision to recommend the proposed name:
The Song Property was purchased in November of 2023 from Jisheng Song, Lihua Wen and Yang Song. The parcel is 56.79 acres in size and is located at 18996 Lake Pickett Rd, Orlando, FL 32820 along the northern shore of Lake Louise (aka Lake Fontana). The site is located within the Econlockhatchee River Hydrologic Basin. The proposed name is in recognition of the rose rush plant (Lygodesmia aphylla). This purple flowering plant occurs in both dry, scrubby habitats as well as in pine barrens. This beautiful flower blooms once per year in the spring and summer and is only found in Florida and several counties in southern Georgia. The rose rush is attractive to pollinators such as butterflies and bees, helping to provide a food source.
Due to its proximity to Lake Louise, the property ranks high for significant surface waters as well as natural floodplain protection. It is also less than 0.5 miles to Roberts Branch Preserve, another Green PLACE property. This proximity helps to preserve critical wildlife habitat and create linkages throughout eastern Orange County. The property contains mixed wetland hardwoods, wet flatwoods, and sandhill lake, which is a very rare habitat in Central Florida.
Some species that occur on the property are the Florida Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis pratensis), a state-listed species, bobcat (Lynx rufus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), a variety of oaks (Quercus spp.), Florida greeneyes (Berlandiera subacaulis), and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum).
The Environmental Protection Division provided a presentation to the GPAB at their August 13, 2025, meeting which included the information above, aerial and site photographs. Additionally, a site visit was offered to the GPAB members, two of which took the opportunity to participate. After discussion, the GPAB made the following motion:
Upon a motion by Eric Rollings, seconded by Michael Daniels, with Debra Reinhart attending virtually, the motion was made to submit “Rose Rush Preserve” as the name for the Song Property, carried with all other present members voting AYE by voice vote; the motion was approved.
Finally, in accordance with Administrative Regulation 2.16. B., on October 3, 2025, Mayor Demings reviewed and approved the advancement of this naming effort to the Board for consideration.
The property will be opened in the future for nature-based recreation.
BUDGET: N/A