Thinking About Your Next Chapter in Clearwater or Pinellas County?

For many homeowners 50 and older, the next real estate decision isn't necessarily about finding a bigger house. It may be about downsizing a longtime home, preparing for retirement, moving closer to family or simply finding a home that better fits the life you want now.

Melissa Stamos brings more than 25 years of real estate experience and holds the SRES® | Seniors Real Estate Specialist® designation, reflecting specialized training focused on the real estate needs of buyers and sellers age 50+.

But Melissa's connection to Clearwater goes beyond real estate. She's involved with the Rotary Club of Clearwater, is a graduate of the Clearwater Citizens Academy and is actively involved with Keep Keene Green.

Not ready to move but starting to think about what's next? Start with a conversation.

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Checkout her Facebook page HERE →

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On September 16, Save the Garden delivered 10,863 petition signatures to the City of Clearwater in its effort to overturn the City Council's decision involving South Garden Avenue and the Church of Scientology.

That's a major milestone.

If you signed the petition, there's something important to know:

This isn't over.

So those boxes of signatures arriving at City Hall weren't the finish line.

They were the beginning of the next phase.

One particularly interesting moment came when Council considered whether to ask Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for an advisory opinion about the petition's legality.

Council member Lina Teixeira opposed doing so. She argued that residents had followed the process in Clearwater's charter and should be allowed to continue through it. If another party believes the petition violates state law, she said, that party can pursue the legal challenge.

Mayor Bruce Rector also opposed seeking the opinion at this stage, calling it premature and pointing out an important detail:

The Attorney General's opinion would not be legally binding.

Council members David Allbritton, Ryan Cotton and Mike Mannino supported seeking the opinion, describing the move during the discussion as a matter of legal due diligence and obtaining additional guidance. With three members in support, the city attorney was directed to request the AG's opinion.

Meanwhile, the signature-verification process is moving forward.

Save the Garden says it is preparing for the possibility that the dispute ends up in court.

The organization has launched an initial $50,000 legal-defense fundraising effort and says the money would be used to retain attorneys experienced in constitutional, municipal and land-use law and citizen referendums. The group says it will pursue pro bono representation if it becomes available.

So if you signed the petition, collected signatures or have been following the Garden Avenue fight, don't assume turning in 10,863 signatures ended the story.

The signatures still have to be verified. The Attorney General has been asked for a non-binding opinion, and a legal challenge remains possible.

What happens over the next several weeks could determine whether the Garden Avenue question ultimately reaches Clearwater voters.

We'll keep following it.

🌴 By a Neighbor. For the Neighborhood.

While Clearwater residents wait to see what happens with the Garden Avenue petition, City Council is considering another request involving public rights-of-way connected to the Church of Scientology.

On September 17, Council voted 3-2 on first reading to advance a request from Scientology-affiliated Myrtle Development LLC to vacate Grove Street, a portion of Laura Street and a 15-foot alleyway for the proposed EVO Family Entertainment Center. Council members David Allbritton, Ryan Cotton and Mike Mannino voted in favor. Mayor Bruce Rector and Council member Lina Teixeira voted against it. A second reading is required before the vacations are finalized.

The proposed $50 million, 83,000-square-foot entertainment center at Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue would include movie theaters, bowling, dining and an arcade.

Developers say the project cannot move forward as currently planned without the street vacations, citing safety concerns about having a public street separating the entertainment center from its parking.

That argument didn't convince everyone.

Council woman Lina Teixeira said she supports bringing the entertainment center downtown, but opposed the site plan as presented. She argued that buildings and site plans can be redesigned, while public streets are much harder to restore once they're gone. She also proposed alternatives that would preserve an east-west connection through the development.

That raises a reasonable question: If vacating these public rights-of-way is essential to the project, should that issue have been settled before the project moved this far through planning? Also, don’t our Tampa Bay sports complexes have public streets surrounding them?

Spectrum Bay News 9 reported that nearly everyone who spoke before Council supported the project, with supporters citing additional entertainment options and potential economic benefits downtown.

However, 10 Tampa Bay reported some unusual context surrounding the crowd outside City Hall.

More than 100 people were already lined up shortly after 11 a.m., roughly seven hours before the meeting. Residents opposed to the street vacations said people arriving so early were effectively crowding other residents out of the limited seating inside Council chambers.

And this detail stood out:

10 Tampa Bay reported that some people in line told the station off camera they weren't sure why they were there or which agenda item they were there to speak about.

These are separate proposals.

But on the same night City Council dealt with the next steps for 10,863 signatures challenging the Garden Avenue decision, it also advanced another request involving Clearwater's public rights-of-way and a Scientology-affiliated development.

The vote isn't final. Another reading is still required.

So while Clearwater waits to see what happens with Garden Avenue, another decision involving the city's public streets is already moving forward.

🌴 By a Neighbor. For the Neighborhood.

Before you load up the car, take a peek at the live beach cam to see exactly how busy it is out there. Sometimes the smartest move is knowing when to go and when to enjoy our little slice of paradise another day.

Check current water temperatures and conditions Here

Watch the live Clearwater Beach Cam Here

Our pets aren't just animals - they're family. If you've seen any of the pets below please email us at [email protected] and we will connect you directly with their families. One share could bring someone's baby home.

Zena has been missing for over 188+ days from the Seville Condo area near Clearwater Costco. Her heartbroken family will not give up searching

LEARN MORE →

Leah has been missing since April 28th from the King Arthur Court in Dunedin. Her Mom has owned her since she was a puppy.

LEARN MORE →

Lobo has been missing since May 11th from Gladden Park in St. Petersburg. Her Mom has owned her since she was a puppy.

LEARN MORE →

River is a one-year-old male tabby (brown, white, and gray) who slipped out the front door on May 30th, and last seen near 134th Ave and Trotter Rd in Largo.

LEARN MORE →

Mama Kitty is a 15 year old black cat with with a clipped left ear that went missing on June 4th, and last seen near Druid and Belcher in Clearwater.

LEARN MORE →

🚤💦 XINSURANCE Clearwater Offshore Nationals

September 25–27 | Clearwater Beach

High-speed powerboat racing returns to Clearwater Beach this weekend, with 65–90 raceboats expected to hit speeds of 140+ mph on a 2.5-mile course running parallel to the shoreline near Pier 60.

🏁 Saturday: Qualifying and heat races starting around 11 AM
🏆 Sunday: Championship racing starting around 11 AM
🎟️ Admission: FREE from public beach viewing areas

Tip: Parking will fill up quickly, so consider the Jolley Trolley or arrive early.

🚤 OC Racing Off-shore Speed Boats on display Friday September 25th - 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Clearwater Brewing Company Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎸 Shake Society Friday September 25th - FREE - 7:00 pm Whiskey Wings Countryside Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎸 Zach Seufert Friday September 25th - FREE - 5:00 pm Crabby’s Dockside Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎤 😂 Clearwater Comedy Club - Jordan B - Friday & Saturday 8:30 pm 483 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater INFO & TICKETS→

🎤 😂 Clearwater Comedy Club - The Dark & Dirty Comedy Show - Friday & Saturday 10:30 pm 483 Mandalay Ave, Clearwater INFO & TICKETS→

🍺 Oktoberfest at Clearwater Brewing Company - Saturday, September 26th

Break out the lederhosen! Clearwater Brewing Company is celebrating Oktoberfest Saturday with German bratwurst, pretzels, music and beer, plus an afternoon of ridiculous-in-the-best-way competitions including pretzel eating, boot toss, stein hoisting, Musical Kegs and more. Festivities begin at 1 PM, with competitions throughout the afternoon and prizes for the best festively dressed at 7 PM.

Prost! 🍻 INFO→

🎸 Street Wise Saturday September 26th - FREE - 7:00 pm Whiskey Wings Countryside Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎸 Rickie Hume Saturday September 26th - FREE - 5:00 pm Crabby’s Dockside Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎸 Rise Against Friday September 25th at 7:00 pm The BayCare Sound Clearwater, FL INFO→

🎸🇯🇲 Ziggy Marley Sunday October 4th at 5:00 pm The BayCare Sound Clearwater, FL INFO→

READ MORE →

🦅 Moccasin Lake Nature Park (Clearwater) — A peaceful 51-acre preserve with shaded oak trails, boardwalks over the lake, and a wildlife rehabilitation sanctuary where you can see rescued eagles, hawks, and falcons.

⛵ Clearwater Community Sailing Center A nonprofit sailing center at 1001 Gulf Blvd offering boat rentals, sailing lessons for all ages, and Summer Camp. Open Tuesday through Sunday 9am to 5pm. LEARN MORE →

🏓 Pickleball Court Locations: Here is the easiest way to find Pickleball courts near you with an interactive map. LEARN MORE →

🏖️ Near the Beach

🏙️ Inland

⚠️ Trivia nights and schedules can change. We recommend confirming directly with the venue before heading out. Know of a change or a new spot? Tell Scout →

Thanks for reading My Clearwater Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone that you think would enjoy it.

Until next time,

Stan, Scoop and Scout