The Brief
- The Clearwater City Council will hold a final vote Thursday on a controversial proposal to hand over part of a downtown street to the Church of Scientology.
- The church is requesting that the city vacate a section of South Garden Avenue to build a new venue hall and plaza.
- While supporters argue the project will add pedestrian-friendly green space, others contend the church owns enough property and the city needs it to grow.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Clearwater City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday evening on a controversial proposal that would cede control of part of a downtown city street to the Church of Scientology.
The backstory:
The proposal passed its first reading earlier this month by a narrow 3-2 vote, and has drawn intense pushback from residents. Some argue the church owns enough property and that the city needs more streets to grow, not less.
The Church of Scientology is asking the city to vacate the public right of way on a section of South Garden Avenue located between Franklin and Court streets in the heart of downtown Clearwater. The church already owns the property around it, and wants to build a new venue hall and plaza to expand the campus. The stretch is about 0.65 acres.…