Christopher “Doc” Collins is running for Martin County Commission after spending the last four years as a Stuart city commissioner and mayor. A chiropractor who has run a Downtown Stuart practice for 15 years, Collins is married with four young children. His platform centers on what he describes as slow growth, water quality, and lower taxes.
From Stuart Mayor to a County Race
Collins said he felt he accomplished much of what he set out to do in Stuart, pointing to updated land use codes and what he described as more sensible density limits that curbed large apartment developments in the city. He said he now sees the county level as where the more significant growth battles will play out over the next four years, citing large planned developments in the Palm City area, including Newfield and Storie, and continued buildout of agricultural land in south and west Martin County.
How Large Land Use Decisions Get Made
Collins said major development decisions typically involve a combination of state legislation, developer proposals, and local land use regulations. He pointed to Martin County’s Comprehensive Growth Management Plan as the primary framework limiting density, intensity, and building height across the county, arguing that most conflict arises when developers request exceptions to that plan rather than building within its existing limits.
As an example, he pointed to the Newfield development in Palm City, agricultural land originally approved for development roughly a decade ago that is now being built out at a far higher density than its original zoning allowed, a shift he said will bring several thousand new residents into an area that was previously rural.
What Slow Growth Means at the County Level
Collins said his definition of slow growth includes maintaining building heights at four stories or under and holding development to the density and intensity limits already written into the comprehensive plan, both outside the urban services boundary on agricultural land and within it in already developed areas. He said this approach guided his work in Stuart and would carry over into how he approaches county-level land-use decisions.
Property Tax Reform and Government Spending
Collins said he supports an upcoming statewide property tax reform measure, framing his position around prioritizing essential services such as police, fire, and infrastructure, while reducing what he considers nonessential government spending and staffing. He said he opposes cuts to public safety or capital improvement projects like roads and sidewalks, arguing that cost savings should instead come from reducing the size of government staffing and administrative costs.
AI Data Centers and the Martin County Difference
Collins said he opposes the construction of AI data centers anywhere in Martin County, arguing that their long-term environmental effects, including impacts on local water supply, are not yet well understood. He said he does not believe any location in the county would be appropriate for this kind of development, given the county’s reliance on agricultural land use protections in its comprehensive plan…