STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — The mayor of Stuart is raising a red flag, citing a potential parking shortfall at the courthouse if Martin County moves forward with a Brightline station.

Mayor Christopher Collins says all entities involved — Martin County, Brightline, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Florida East Coast Railroad — have been put on notice about the issue.

According to a letter from the mayor dated April 3 to the Martin County Board of Commissioners, city staff reviewed the courthouse site plan and found the county is required to have a minimum of 218 parking spaces to serve the courthouse. The letter adds that, under current conditions, approximately 334 spaces are available.

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The letter goes on to say that if the county proceeds with a leasing agreement on SE Flagler Avenue for Brightline, 165 parking spaces would be removed.

“That would result in a net deficiency of 53 parking spaces below the required minimum,” the letter states.

CBS12 viewers and readers can read the full letter here:

Collins said in a Facebook post:

You shouldn’t have to compete with courthouse staff for limited on-street parking. And poor planning that leads to Brightline passengers, Ubers and taxis looping and stacking in front of Stuart Middle and a park where kids play is unacceptable. Bottom line if Martin County won’t fully accommodate parking for both the courthouse and a Brightline station, we’ve got a serious problem.

Stuart and Martin County have had a long-standing dispute over Brightline.

For months in 2025, the two were at a standstill over who would fund the station. The county planned to move forward with the Brightline deal but needed the city’s support to secure federal grants.

The city argued that without Brightline covering a share of the cost, taxpayers — both local and federal — would be responsible for the entire project.

The dispute stems from a 2024 decision when Brightline selected Stuart for its Treasure Coast stop. Initially, both the city and county supported the project. However, months later, the newly elected Stuart City Commission rescinded a land lease agreement with Brightline, effectively pulling out of the deal.

In response, the county reached its own agreement with the rail company in November to build the station on county-owned land.