Scientology claims to be expanding. What's true is, their real estate portfolio is expanding as they buy up historic buildings, which are, in most cases, allowed to deteriorate. The theory behind it is, "If you build it, they will come." This might have worked for a baseball field in a movie, but baseball doesn't have a trail of horror stories and lies dragging along in its wake.
When Scientology came to Sandy Springs, Georgia, it employed its usual tactics, tactics that included distraction, evasion, and flat out lies.
Amusingly, the people of Sandy Springs were not deceived, and Scientology's lies and fear mongering came back to bite them in the butt.
A subtle shift has been detected in the force over the past two years, a shift that shows a new awareness of the nature of organized Scientology within communities and individuals who are no longer falling for the hyperbolic self promotion the cult is known for.
There is a growing recognition of the organization's tactics when confronted with opposition. Diversion, distraction, evasion, falsification of facts and character assassination have been revealed in Scientology directives written by founder L. Ron Hubbard as ways to effectively influence a community. These tactics have worked well in the past. Hubbard knew that many people will be easily influenced by someone who seems to have authority and knowledge at the podium. It's much easier to rely on information given from a position of authority, and too often officials do just that when a little research would expose great, blatant lies.
This negligence has led to some pretty amusing situations, as Albuquerque, New Mexico learned last year when they allowed Scientology front group, Second Chance, to lease a building for convict drug rehabilitation based on the fraudulent and dangerous Narconon program. As described in an earlier diary, this wound up with Second Chance sneaking out of town in the middle of the night owing thousands of dollars. Refrigerators and stoves belonging to the building disappeared with them.
When the Scientology organization wishes to move into a community, officials are often bombarded with visits, letters and emails extolling the virtues and benefits of having them present. They talk about all the "good work" they do, and sometimes get the support of city officials who should know better.
When Scientology expressed their intention to establish a Narconon in Bowden, Georgia, they convinced a Baptist minister to front for them in their quest to purchase land which would need to be rezoned.
Thanks to the efforts of a few activists, the attention of reporter J. Pilkonis and the fearless editor of the Carroll County Star, Bill Chappell, the Scientologists were exposed and rejected. Their claims of support from the Boy Scouts of America and a group called Concerned Black Clergy were revealed as lies.
That was in 2002. Today, organized Scientology has again invaded Georgia, this time as part of a large "Ideal Org" push, where they purchase historic landmark buildings that are often subsequently neglected, and promises of renovation go unfulfilled.
In Cincinnati, they purchased a large Baptist church almost a year ago.
In San Diego, they bought an old college campus two years ago.
In Pasadena, they purchased the Braley Building, a historical landmark in 2006.
The Seattle Ideal Org is rundown and covered with grafitti.
The Las Vegas Ideal Org was purchased in 1997, and is unuseable due to abandoned renovation which lasted a month, then just stopped.
In Sydney, Australia, they bought a historic building, then demanded permission to add on a couple of stories. Permission was denied.
The Northumbria Ideal Org in the UK is riddled with broken windows.
An Ideal Org building in Budapest was purchased in 2005, and still stands empty.
Quebec, 2006, still stands empty and unimproved.
The pattern is this; Scientologists are bombarded with hype, describing these Ideal Orgs as community centers which will draw hundreds in to the Hubbardian fold. Fanciful fictions are spun, where crime is eradicated by their very presence, people can leave their cars unlocked, visitors from around the world will join police and government officials in learning how to Make It Go Right as the Ideal Orgs become the hub and heart of secular community.
The Scientologists are then mercilessly pressed to raise the millions needed to purchase these often massive buildings, which, once purchased, no longer belong to the local Scientology organization that raised the money. The buildings are signed over to the Religious Technology Center, which occupies the top of the Scientology corporate pyramid.
Having donated millions of dollars to purchase these buildings, the membership is then mercilessly pressured to give even more for renovations of buildings they don't even own! Organized Scientology is thought to be worth billions, yet all the financial burden is placed on the declining numbers of local believers.
But that's another story. This is the story of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and an office building purchased by Scientologists for their Ideal Org. It's also the story about a community that did its homework, exposed the lies, and ultimately rejected the Scientologists' plan for their neighborhoods.
The Scientology organization purchased this three story office building as their Ideal Org. Then they sought permission to enclose the ground floor parking structure as a chapel. The neighbors expressed concerns primarily about decreased parking and increased traffic.
Scientology representative Bob Adams spoke at one of the planning commission meetings. Questions about decreased parking availability and requests to explain why they needed to establish a "chapel" in the parking lot went unanswered. Instead, Bob droned on and on about their great plans to redesign the interior at length, without ever answering the community's concerns. Strangely, the council wasn't interested in wood paneling, or the quality of the carpets.
The Planning Commission is an advisory board which sends its recommendations to the city council. Their first recommendation was to allow the zoning change from Office/Institutional Conditional (OI conditional) to an Office/Institutional (OI)Industrial that would allow the current building to be used for religious purposes, but deny the proposed alterations.
They had to request a zoning change to allow the surrounding wall to remain - there is a setback requirement that all parts of structure on the property be a certain distance from the property line, and the wall didn't meet the current setback requirement. They also needed a variance to allow the buildings roadway sign to remain on property which is now considered right-of-way.
Originally, they were planning on building the chapel on the first floor. There is a floor load rating required for assembly areas of 100 lbs. per square foot, and the first floor is rated for 75 lbs. per square foot. They stated in the original rezoning application that they planned to handle this with a warning sign, but apparently the planning and development dept. wouldn't agree to that.
So they submitted a revised zoning application which proposed the chapel be put on the underground parking level and the level enclosed. The change was never mentioned by them in the meetings, as if it had never happened. Interested parties only knew this because they had done an open records request and gotten the original application. Even the neighbors didn't know about this, and the documents were sent to them so they would understand why the Scientologists were so adamant about needing to enclose the basement.
Residents of Sandy Springs collected 700 signatures urging the council to deny these changes. Sixteen homeowners associations also sent letters, each letter representing the body of members belonging to those associations. This was an impressive expression of the community's opposition to the proposed changes. They weren't opposed to the Scientologists moving in. Their concerns were over the impact alterations would impose on their neighborhoods.
At the city council meetings, Scientology was represented by attorney William Galloway, who followed in the footsteps of Bob Adams as far as avoidance of answering questions went. He may have even blazed new trails in evasiveness.
This was the final showdown; at the end of this meeting, Sandy Springs officials would vote on whether or not they would allow the Scientologists to add another floor to the building to suit their needs. The "added floor" would be the enclosed parking lot.
The Scientologists proposed to cut down mature trees on the property to expand available parking.
Mr. Galloway responded to the question, "Would this church bring in people from all over Georgia?" with a non sequitur, rambling explanation of Scientology's levels, concluding with the truth that, after achieving a certain level, parishioners must go to their center in Clearwater, Florida for further advancement. This is true, but misleading. When an individual takes courses in Florida, they will return to their homes once the courses are completed. In this case, they will return to Georgia, and the Sandy Springs facility. Mr. Galloway's implication was that these people would no longer return to their own church in their own town.
He responded to a simple question asking why they needed so much room with a convoluted explanation of various courses, different offices needed for various stages of the coursework, staff requiring their own offices, and establishment of a book store and a museum. None of this addresses why they feel they need to close in the parking space for a chapel. It's a three story office building. There are plenty of offices.
At the earlier meeting, Bob Adams stated that, despite an estimated 600 Scientologists in the region, attendance would be limited to 170 at a time. Given Scientology's propensity to hold huge events and make promises they don't honor, adherence to this seems unlikely.
Mr. Galloway was asked if the building, book store and museum would be open to the general public. He hedged, saying that "technically" that was the case, then cited the need for security due to "brutes" who would be drawn there to oppose Scientology. These people, he claimed, had done "some pretty horrible things," reeling off a litany of unsubstantiated accusations the Scientologists have been using against its critics for the past two years.
Little did he know that these "brutes" were present in the audience, and they burst out laughing when he started parroting the Scientology party line about the people who protest their behavior.
Asked if this wasn't something the community should be concerned about, Galloway replied, "It is something to be aware of." And yet, because of security, he assured the room, it would be safe.
"Safe inside your building," a councilman pointed out. Clearly, there were concerns that crazed anti-Scientology protesters could run rampant through the streets of the surrounding neighborhood.
Of course, anyone who wanted to find information about the people who protest Scientology can easily learn that they are a peaceful bunch, and all the real life conflicts at protests have been perpetrated by Scientologists. There have been assaults, thefts, and false police complaints which have resulted in overly-enthusiastic police attacks under the impression that the protesters are serious terrorists. These officers relied upon the same accusations the Scientology representatives brought forward at this meeting.
The final vote was 3 to 3, the mayor being the tie-breaker. The rezoning will be allowed. The Scientologists may move into their new building. However, a new floor will not be permitted, nor will they be cutting down trees to add to their parking lot space.
Many reasonable minded folk would agree that this is a decent compromise, but to Scientologists, "reasonable" is a bad word.
Their representatives insist that the building is of no use to them in its present condition. Three floors of offices are simply insufficient and without the mysteriously necessary parking lot chapel, the whole building is worthless.
As a parting shot, Mr. Galloway threatened to do what Scientology does best; sue the city of Sandy Springs for "religious prejudice."
Since the entire series of meetings relating to this issue were recorded, and since those videos clearly show the community's concern over traffic and parking rather than Scientology, these threatened lawsuits should be a laugh riot when they finally come to court.
They responded to queries about their proposed expansion to the parking garage with detailed descriptions of the quality of their planned interior design.
They responded to queries about the need for greater space with a complicated description of the process followed by Scientologists who are advancing up the levels.
And they responded to being denied the special treatment they expected by crying about being unable to use the building without the improvements they claim they needed, and threatening to sue over an issue that never came up at the meetings.
These tactics of distraction and diversion have worked very well for a long time.
But the times, they are a'changin.
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