Residents accuse Scientology supporters of crowding Clearwater council meetings

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Long lines wrapped around the Clearwater Main Library on Thursday night as local leaders approved another street vacation tied to the Church of Scientology.

Residents opposed to the project say Scientology supporters are arriving hours before meetings and making it harder for other viewpoints to be heard during public comment.

Street vacation approved

What we know:

Clearwater City Council voted 3-2 to vacate portions of Laura Street and Grove Street along with a 15-foot alleyway to the EVO Entertainment Center.

Council members David Allbritton, Ryan Cotton and Mike Mannino voted in favor, while Mayor Bruce Rector and Councilwoman Lina Teixeira opposed the measure.

The $50 million movie theater will feature seven screens, an arcade, bowling and laser tag. Developers say it will also include the world's largest cinema screen.

Developers talk improvements

Dig deeper:

Jack Muffoletto is the senior Principal at TK Architects. He believes these street transfers will improve parking, access and safety surrounding the site.

"Part of the customer's comfort is finding a place to park and having a good way to park, an easy way to get into the building," Muffoletto said. "That's why this was so critical to get the road vacated."

Crowds at council meetings

The backstory:

Large crowds have repeatedly shown up for Clearwater City Council meetings involving agenda items relating to the Church of Scientology. 

Back in June, hundreds of supporters packed the library throughout the vote on South Garden Avenue.

Fighting street transfers

What they're saying:

Jill Gibbs is a member of Save the Garden, a grassroots group opposing these street transfers. She arrived outside the Clearwater Main Library before 7 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Gibbs believes the large turnouts are part of a concerted effort to keep opposition out.

"When one side is taking up all the space in line and pushing out the opposition, the city council is not hearing the whole story," she said.

Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector says arriving early with large groups can affect who gets a chance to speak.

"You could manipulate it," he said. "Having people here at eight o'clock in the morning and stacking the deck to make sure that all of your opinions are heard first."

Rector says the number of people signed up for public comment does not influence how council members vote.

"It doesn't sway any of the council members how they vote," he said. "It simply wastes time of others that want to speak."

Church of Scientology responds

The other side:

FOX 13’s Blake DeVine asked Church of Scientology spokesperson Erin Banks whether the church told its supporters to attend the meeting.

"No, that's ridiculous," she said. "You wouldn't show up and wait outside if you weren't that passionate about this project and invested in this redevelopment."

The Cleveland Street Alliance called Thursday's vote a major step forward for downtown Clearwater. 

The group says EVO will serve as an entertainment anchor for its $200 million redevelopment effort.

Opening date unknown

What we don't know:

An opening date for the EVO Entertainment Center hasn’t been announced. 

The Cleveland Street Alliance hopes to break ground on construction in early 2027. 

The city ordinance gives the developer up to four years to obtain a certificate of occupancy.

Permitting needed

What's next:

The Church of Scientology says Thursday's decision was the final public vote tied to their $200 million downtown transformation project. 

The EVO development must move through permitting before construction can begin.

ClearwaterScientology