The St. Johns Board of County Commissioners approved a major modification to planned unit development zoning Sept. 15 for a last-mile distribution facility identified in public records as an Amazon delivery center that would create 350 jobs.
Jacksonville-based Fountains of St Augustine LLC, the property owner, wants to allow a warehouse and distribution center at northeast Interstate 95 and Florida 16 near the St. Augustine Outlets.
The proposed 125,000-square-foot facility and parking is planned on 58.74 undeveloped acres at 3960 Inman Road in St. Augustine by developer Ryan Companies US Inc., which is based in Minneapolis and has a Tampa office.
The applicant representative, Brad Wester from the Jacksonville-based Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow law firm, said at the county board meeting the facility will employ 150 full-time workers and about 200 distribution drivers. Wages will be an “industry leading pay at $15 per hour,” he said.
The initial application for the last-mile distribution facility was labeled DJX6, which matches the code references used by Amazon.com for its centers. The label does not appear on the current application by a different agent.
However, the St. Johns River Water Management District is reviewing a permit application with documents that identify the facility as an Amazon.com last-mile distribution facility.
The approved St. Johns County conceptual plan locates the truck entrance at the southern portion of the site across from the Burkhardt beer and wine distribution facility and directs truck travel as far east from Inman Road as possible with minimal impact to the 26.34 acres of wetlands on-site.
To relocate truck traffic through the site, displaced auto parking will be located across Inman Road on property zoned for industrial use.
Those changes address noise and lighting concerns by residents of the adjacent Tuscany Village.
