Clearwater City Council to hold final vote on Church of Scientology plan to acquire part of downtown street

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.

admin June 18, 2026 2 minutes read

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.

What they’re saying:

The debate brought hundreds of community members to a recent city council meeting earlier this month. Supporters of the plan point out that the Clearwater City Council has approved similar requests for others in the past.

“It will be pedestrian-friendly,” Robert Potter, an attorney representing the Church of Scientology, said during a recent city council meeting. “It will provide a lot of green space to downtown Clearwater, and it will be open to the public. It will contribute to the vitality of downtown Clearwater.”

The other side:

However, opponents argue that the church already owns a massive footprint in the area and that this would harm the city’s ability to grow.

“Fire trucks use it, garbage trucks, the buses, emergency vehicles,” Clearwater resident Sylvia Patterson said. “It’s going to be needed for future development of Clearwater. So, it’s just absurd.”

Dig deeper:

This is not the first time the issue has come before city leaders. The Church of Scientology attempted to purchase the section of Garden Avenue from the city last year, but ultimately withdrew the proposal.

What’s next:

The city council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. inside the council chambers at the Main Library located at 100 N. Osceola Ave. in Clearwater, where the final vote is expected to take place.