CLEARWATER, Fla — Clearwater City Council will not move forward with changes to its decision to vacate part of South Garden Avenue for the Church of Scientology, despite a grassroots petition seeking to overturn the move.
Council members voted 3-2 Thursday night to take no action on the issue following a contentious meeting that drew strong reactions.
The City previously vacated a portion of South Garden Avenue to allow the Church of Scientology to build an event space. The decision prompted the grassroots group Save the Garden to launch a petition seeking to repeal it.
The group gathered enough verified signatures to surpass the threshold required to trigger the city's charter process.
However, three council members said state law prevents the city from applying its referendum process to the petition.
Their position was bolstered by a letter from the Florida Attorney General's Office received Thursday afternoon. According to the city, the letter concluded that state statute prohibits Clearwater from applying its referendum process to the petition.
Council member Mike Mannino said the City is obligated to follow state law regardless of whether people agree with it.
"That is law we have to follow," Mannino said. "The protections of people, the protections of our community, the protections of you lying within those laws and protections. It's the very reason those are put there whether we agree or disagree with them."
The debate over South Garden Avenue has also become intertwined with broader tensions surrounding Scientology's presence in downtown Clearwater.
Council member David Allbritton criticized the motivations behind public comments during Thursday's meeting.
"It was really nothing about the street. It was all about your hate for Scientology," Allbritton said. "Why put Save the Garden? Why not just put I hate Scientology?"
The Church of Scientology issued a statement following the council's decision, saying in part: "The Attorney General has confirmed what the Church has maintained all along: This petition is unlawful."
Save the Garden says legal fight could be next
Despite the council's vote, Save the Garden says its effort is not over.
Campaign director Brooks Gibbs said the group is preparing to take the dispute to court.
"We have no choice but to defend the 7,500 signatures, and we have to do that in the court of law," Gibbs said. "We're going to have to raise money for actually defending this thing."Save the Garden says it is prepared to sue as it challenges the city's handling of the South Garden Avenue petition.
Statement from Church of Scientology:
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