United Rentals has leased a former Hyundai dealership property in St. Augustine after overcoming initial zoning obstacles.
NAI Hallmark brokered the deal for the 4.07-acre property at 2898 U.S. 1 S., which includes two buildings totaling more than 15,600 square feet.
The property includes 10 garage bays, a showroom, a waiting area, a covered canopy and nearly 500 feet of highway frontage with dual access points.
Property records show the site is owned by Hyundai of St. Augustine, through DDN St Johns LLC, led by Andrew, Joseph and Samuel DiFeo. Andrew DiFeo is the general manager of Hyundai of St. Augustine, which previously operated on the site before relocating to 1111 Marketplace Drive in 2023.
Zoning battle
The deal faced significant hurdles during the approval process. The St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Agency voted 7-0 on Aug. 7 to recommend denial of requests that would allow a United Rentals store to move forward.
The company made two requests. It sought to rezone the site by removing provisions tied to its Commercial Intensive with Conditions classification. The conditions allow uses such as vehicle and auto parts sales, service repair shops and rental car agencies, but do not specifically permit heavy equipment rentals. The site is bordered by residential neighborhoods to the east.
United Rentals also requested a zoning variance to reduce the required buffer between the site and adjacent homes to the east from 20 feet to 10 feet. Christina Evans, a senior planner with Jacksonville-based Matthews | DCCM, the project’s civil engineer, said United Rentals would plant trees and add an 8-foot fence — 2 feet taller than the existing fence — to minimize disruption to neighbors.
PZA member Robert Olson questioned why United Rentals would choose “prime retail frontage” rather than a more industrial area.
“It seems like heavy equipment rental is not an impulse thing,” he said. “It’s not like a car dealership. You don’t just go by the site and say, ‘Oh, I want to rent a Bobcat today.’”
He said other businesses might be “better and more compatible” for the site.
Commission approval
On Sept. 2, the full St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the requests.
Discussion centered on the Planning and Zoning Agency’s recommendation to deny the application. At its meeting, the PZA maintained that 20-foot buffers were required instead of the 10 feet requested. Members also contended that increasing the fence height from 6 to 8 feet would not sufficiently reduce noise.
It concluded United Rentals was not a good fit for the area and would be more appropriately located in an industrial zone where its equipment would be used.
DiFeo spoke about the property’s past use and current condition, saying United Rentals would be an appropriate fit for the site.
Commissioners Sarah Arnold, Christian Whitehurst and Clay Taylor voted in favor. Krista Joseph and Ann Taylor voted against.
About United Rentals
According to an Oct. 8 investor report, United Rentals Inc. operates 1,615 locations across North America, along with 40 in Europe, 39 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand.
The company operates in 49 U.S. states and every Canadian province, employing about 27,500 people who serve construction and industrial clients, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and other customers. Its fleet has a total original cost of $22.09 billion.