The Clearwater City Council has approved a plan that will allow the Church of Scientology to take control of a section of South Garden Avenue. The decision was made after hours of heated debate, with the council voting 3-2 in favor of the plan.

Details of the Plan

The plan will allow the Church of Scientology to use the space to build L. Ron Hubbard Hall, a new venue hall and plaza designed to expand its downtown campus. The stretch of street between Franklin and Court streets is surrounded by church-owned properties.

Supporters of the proposal, including Councilman Mike Mannino, argued that the closure would not impact public transportation. "Does this vacation negatively affect any current or future bus or public transportation routes," he said. "The answer is no."

Opposition to the Plan

Opponents argue that the city is giving up valuable public land. Save The Garden, a grassroots group that has collected more than 9,000 signatures against the proposal, has already filed a lawsuit challenging the decision. Barbara Sorey-Love, president of the Clearwater African American Foundation, believes their battle is far from over.

"We’re going to fight it," she said. "We are going to stand up and just take it from the city or the Scientologists." Save The Garden founder Brooks Gibbs says the legal battle centers on who owns the land underneath South Garden Avenue. "Clearwater owns the land underneath the road and Scientology disagrees," he explained. "That needs to be adjudicated with a court."

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.