Clearwater Council Hears Competing Plans for South Garden Avenue; No Vote in Work Session

Church of Scientology representatives and a coalition calling itself Reconnect Clearwater presented competing proposals for the future of South Garden Avenue during a May 12 Clearwater City Council work session, and councilmembers asked for more written detail before a formal decision. The work session did not include a vote; councilmembers said an official vote is scheduled for the May 15 council meeting.

The issue centers on a city process to vacate (sell) a section of South Garden Avenue to an adjoining property owner. Sarah Heller, representing the Church of Scientology’s Cleveland Street Alliance, showed a video of ongoing and proposed Cleveland Street projects and said the church’s plan includes an auditorium and a public park that, she said, “could not be built without this road.” Heller told councilmembers the hall and park are a single project and that closing the road is necessary for safety and design.

Why the question matters: Councilmembers repeatedly framed the decision as a trade-off between public access and private development. Several councilmembers and citizens pressed both presenters for binding commitments, public-access…