Clearwater City Council voted 3-2 Thursday night against reversing its approval to vacate part of South Garden Avenue, rejecting a petition campaign that opposed the action. The decision leaves the Church of Scientology able to proceed with plans for its flagship L. Ron Hubbard Hall, an all-glass auditorium and plaza.
Save the Garden, the grassroots organization behind the petition, collected 7,577 valid signatures seeking to overturn the council’s earlier decision. The group argued that the street space belongs to Clearwater residents and should not be made available to a private entity. Its campaign sought to undo the action affecting the downtown property.
During public comments, Clearwater resident and Save the Garden volunteer Lauren Golden urged council members to consider residents’ views and represent their interests. She asked them to weigh both public interest in the proposal and public confidence in how the decision was being made.
The council’s rejection followed an opinion from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. City Attorney Owen Kohler told members that repealing the earlier approval through the petition would conflict with Florida law. He said state law bars initiative or referendum petitions involving certain development orders or land use regulations.
Council members also defended their refusal to put the matter to a public referendum, disputing the characterization that the city had given land to the church. Council member David Allbritton said the church already owned the property and that the council had approved a right-of-way vacation. Thursday’s meeting was his final appearance as a council member.
Before the vote, Mayor Bruce Rector paused the meeting after attendees reacted strongly to Allbritton’s comments about opponents’ motives. Allbritton accused residents of directing their objections at Scientology rather than the street itself, saying their repeated claims reflected hostility toward the church. His remarks drew heavy backlash from the audience.
The Church of Scientology welcomed the outcome in a statement, saying the council had followed the attorney general’s legal guidance. It maintained that Florida law prohibited the proposed referendum and that the petition was unlawful. The church also said the council had upheld its approval of the street vacation and that L. Ron Hubbard Hall would move forward.
Save the Garden said it would continue its challenge. Campaign director Brooks Gibbs told WFTS-TV that the organization planned to contest the council’s vote in court, hoping a judge would make the final decision. Gibbs said the group needed to defend the thousands of signatures gathered in support of its petition.
