Thursday, June 18th, the Clearwater City Council will vote to permanently vacate S. Garden Avenue. Join us to voice citizen objections.
6:00 PM at the Clearwater Main Library. 100 N. Osceola.Â
The Clearwater Mayor attempts to challenge the city attorney on yielding to the Church of Scientology's claim of ownership of the land underneath Garden Ave. The Mayor is advocating for a Judge to decide. The City attorney along with three other council members (Mannino, Cotton, Allbritton) desire to give the land away to Scientology.
Only Mayor Bruce Rector and council member Lina Teixeira are advocating to protect city land. All other council members and city staff are committed to giving away city land to the Church of Scientology (for free!).
Our former city attorney resigned over this issue. Read his excellent memorandum below where he argues that the city owns the land underneath Garden Avenue and therefore is entitled to both market value as well as open to alternative bids.
Download the Margolis MemorandumSign The Petition
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We can't do this without you!
Right now, you're witnessing a true grassroots movement, a community-driven effort to create a better path forward for our city and breathe new life into downtown Clearwater.
Our first task is to protect South Garden Avenue. An hour before it was going to be sold to the Church of Scientology, citizens stepped in and stopped the deal—but the threat remains. Unless we act now, the street remains vulnerable to being taken by the institution that already owns more than 75% of the downtown core.Â
Our current mission is simple: keep South Garden Avenue in the hands of the people and secure it permanently by building a memorial garden and heritage trail that honors Clearwater’s African American community and the general history of our downtown. Let's be clear. This isn’t about being against anyone (our movement is not anti-Scientology), it’s about preventing the unnecessary expansion of one institution at the expense of the citizens.
That’s why we are announcing the #SaveTheGarden petition to change the city charter and require voter approval before any downtown street can be given away. With your help, we can protect our streets, preserve our history, and reawaken the heart of Clearwater.
👉 Sign the petition in person at the East Community Library.
Together, we can secure South Garden Avenue forever.
With gratitude,
Brooks Gibbs
#SaveTheGarden
P.S.: After we are able to secure the street for public control, with the city's approval, we intend to create a memorial garden as well as a mile-long memory lane for the citizens to enjoy. CLICK HERE to learn more about our vision.
