Church of Scientology withdraws request to buy Clearwater street
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- The Church of Scientology has withdrawn its request to buy a stretch of South Garden Avenue in downtown Clearwater.
The church’s plan included closing the road to the public, and building an auditorium and a park.Critics of the plan included the grassroots group Reconnect Clearwater, which submitted a counter-proposal called “Save the Garden.”
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Church of Scientology has pulled its application to buy a street in downtown Clearwater, Mayor Bruce Rector confirmed to FOX 13 hours ahead of a planned vote on Thursday.
Critics of the plan included the grassroots group Reconnect Clearwater, which submitted a counter-proposal called “Save the Garden.” The organization proposed honoring African American history in the city, along with everyone who helped build Clearwater.
Both proposals faced scrutiny at a meeting on Monday in which the Church of Scientology made a rare appearance at Clearwater City Hall.
The church, which owns about 200 properties downtown, told council members that almost 10 of the church’s buildings at least have permits for work to be done, and featured them in a video.
That video didn’t talk about South Garden Avenue, though, and city leaders pointed that out – saying they’ve had more than enough time to redevelop, but several storefronts still sit vacant.
In a letter to the city on Wednesday, the church did not give a specific reason for withdrawing. The letter reads, in part:
“Based upon the discussions to date surrounding the application, the Church has determined to supplement its application with additional information addressing its need for the Garden Avenue property, including life safety concerns. The Church has also determined that issues surrounding title to the property should be reviewed in depth.”
However, Rector told FOX 13 he thinks the church saw the writing on the wall after Councilmember David Allbritton said Monday he was flipping his vote from a “yes” to a “no” on the sale, meaning it wouldn’t pass.
FOX 13 has reached out to the Church of Scientology for comment on the withdrawal of its application.
The proposed sale of South Garden Avenue is no longer on the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting.
Content retrieved from: https://www.fox13news.com/news/church-scientology-withdraws-request-buy-clearwater-street.
